Podcasts | Electric Skyhttp://electricsky.net
Stories of the human condition.Fri, 02 Dec 2016 18:38:23 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1http://electricsky.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cropped-ESicon-Jan1-32x32.pngPodcasts | Electric Skyhttp://electricsky.net
3232Electric Sky produces podcast programs that feature engaging, creative and critical ideas... and great music. Portrait is a short format program. Each edition offers a narrow field of view about a particular subject, person, event or theme, in 10 minutes or less. Landscape is a 30 minute program in which individual segments contribute to a more broad view of a subject. Each edition is in the form of a magazine, documentary, or investigative radio show.Mark Blevisnomarkblevis@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)2005-2006, Mark BlevisElectric Sky produces podcast programs that feature engaging, creative and critical ideas... and great music. Portrait is a short format program. Each edition offers a narrow field of view about a particular subject, person, event or theme, in 10 minutes Podcasts | Electric Skyhttp://electricsky.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ES-badge-2016.jpghttp://electricsky.net/category/podcasts/
2005-2006, Mark BlevisElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalEducationArtsSociety & CultureBusinessMusicelectricskypodcast@gmail.comMark BlevisElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.Cliff Harris and Democracy 3, the game you can’t beathttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/PinuL1WqCs0/
http://electricsky.net/cliff-harris-and-democracy-3-the-game-you-cant-beat/#respondFri, 02 Dec 2016 00:18:56 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://electricsky.net/?p=389The book Growing up With Lucy inspired Cliff Harris to try coding a neural network software program. The result is Democracy, a political simulation game for your computer and tablet that you can’t win. It’s amazingly engaging and fun and it reminds us that each political decision is like a flap of a butterfly’s wings.

This episode of Electric Sky is published as part of the Canadian National Day of Podcasting, initiated by the (now-retired) Canadian Podcast Buffet to bring dusty old podcasts out for a shine for a one-day reunion-like festival on December 1, 2010. Somehow it became an annual event.

]]>http://electricsky.net/cliff-harris-and-democracy-3-the-game-you-cant-beat/feed/0Democracy is a political simulation game you can’t win. It's engaging and fun, and it reminds us that each political decision is like a flap of a butterfly's wings.Democracy is a political simulation game you can’t win. It's engaging and fun, and it reminds us that each political decision is like a flap of a butterfly's wings.Mark Blevisclean10:18Electric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/cliff-harris-and-democracy-3-the-game-you-cant-beat/http://traffic.libsyn.com/preview/electricsky/161201-ES-Portrait-80.mp3Interview with Shawn MacDonellhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/TOYU9nKWRGA/
http://electricsky.net/interview-with-shawn-macdonell/#respondSat, 01 Dec 2012 14:55:19 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=267Shawn MacDonell grew up when computers were gaining popularity in the home and the Internet had not yet extended beyond military and academic circles. It was a time when guidance counsellors and aptitude tests pointed high school students like sheep toward computer science degrees.

That didn’t cut it for Shawn. He abandoned that path after taking his first few steps and, somewhat accidentally, he developed a program to teach children how to read. With baseballs.

]]>http://electricsky.net/interview-with-shawn-macdonell/feed/0Shawn MacDonell ignored his guidance counsellor who was pointing high school students like sheep toward computer science degrees. Instead, he developed a program to teach children how to read. With baseballs.Shawn MacDonell ignored his guidance counsellor who was pointing high school students like sheep toward computer science degrees. Instead, he developed a program to teach children how to read. With baseballs.Mark Blevisclean10:14Electric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/interview-with-shawn-macdonell/http://traffic.libsyn.com/electricsky/121201-ES-Portrait-79.mp3The Arrested Development Documentary Projecthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/p77Qd75iI5g/
http://electricsky.net/arrested-development-documentary-project/#commentsWed, 01 Dec 2010 11:18:07 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=239Come on! The publication of this interview is LONG overdue. I originally recorded it on August 24, 2009, just six days before my wife (Andrea) found a lump in her breast — a lump which turned out to be cancer. It’s been a heck of a year. We’re now a happier, healthier us!

I’ve been looking forward to publishing this interview. Besides being related to Andrea’s and my favourite television show, it’s about two people (Neil and Jeff) following their passion, curiosity and creativity to embark on the ambitious Arrested Development Documentary Project (a documentary about the television show Arrested Development). You can watch a trailer for the project here.

According to Neil, “The project has been on hiatus for a number of months, but for good reason, director Jeff got hitched up, married, he took the plunge. In addition, we have been ensuring all our legal ducks are in a row. Too bad Bob Loblaw is not still practicing law, we could really use his legal advice. The project is far from dead, it is just going a whole lot slower than we expected.”

]]>http://electricsky.net/arrested-development-documentary-project/feed/3Neil and Jeff followed their passion, curiosity and creativity to create a documentary about their favourite television show.Neil and Jeff followed their passion, curiosity and creativity to create a documentary about their favourite television show.Mark Blevisclean10:48Electric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/arrested-development-documentary-project/http://traffic.libsyn.com/electricsky/101201-ES-Portrait-78.mp3Interview with Marian van der Zonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/ze-KNeVd7NY/
http://electricsky.net/interview-with-marian-van-der-zon/#respondSun, 13 Jun 2010 22:00:20 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=236I grew up with a romantic view of radio pirates; ordinary people using public airwaves to build communities from locations offshore, from basement studios and from mobile transmitters in the backs of vans. As passionate as I am about radio, I never knew pirate radio had a Canadian scene.

Also, check out this story about an Ottawa boy who set up his own pirate radio station this past winter. And I thought the younger generation didn’t care about radio anymore!

]]>http://electricsky.net/interview-with-marian-van-der-zon/feed/0I grew up with a romantic view of radio pirates; ordinary people using public airwaves to build communities from locations offshore, from basement studios and from mobile transmitters in the backs of vans. As passionate as I am about radio,I grew up with a romantic view of radio pirates; ordinary people using public airwaves to build communities from locations offshore, from basement studios and from mobile transmitters in the backs of vans. As passionate as I am about radio, I never knew pirate radio had a Canadian scene. Then I found out my good […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/interview-with-marian-van-der-zon/http://traffic.libsyn.com/electricsky/100613-ES-Portrait-77.mp3Surviving and thriving with Andrea Rosshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/TNmC3NU33x8/
http://electricsky.net/interview-with-andrea-ross/#commentsSun, 02 May 2010 22:53:24 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=235I’ve often heard people say they’re fighting or they’ve beaten cancer. It was a shift in my thinking when, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, my wife talked about healing and being a survivor.

Six months, three surgeries and six rounds of chemotherapy later, I understand.

You can follow Andrea’s incredibly inspiring online breast cancer journal at WeCanRebuildHer.com. The site features regular blog posts from everyone in our family as well as audio podcasts that document various stages of our journey, and videos that celebrate life and fun during a stressful time.

Andrea and I also collaborated on the children’s book podcast JustOneMoreBook.com, now on hiatus.

Hey! Electric Sky is five years old!!!

]]>http://electricsky.net/interview-with-andrea-ross/feed/10I’ve often heard people say they’re fighting or they’ve beaten cancer. It was a shift in my thinking when, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, my wife talked about healing and being a survivor. Six months,I’ve often heard people say they’re fighting or they’ve beaten cancer. It was a shift in my thinking when, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, my wife talked about healing and being a survivor. Six months, three surgeries and six rounds of chemotherapy later, I understand. Show ID and intro Interview with Andrea Ross You […]Mark Blevisclean10:03Electric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/interview-with-andrea-ross/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/100502-ES-Portrait-76.mp3Interview with Dewitt Joneshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/Ht2ls-UIakI/
http://electricsky.net/interview-with-dewitt-jones/#respondMon, 24 Aug 2009 14:34:52 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=234One of my favourite lessons taught by Dewitt Jones is to study your tools and how to use them so you can capture the extraordinary no matter which tool happens to be in your hand at the time. Dewitt knows this well. His extraordinary photographs have graced pages and covers of National Geographic magazine for seventeen years.

I had the privilege to meet and speak with Dewitt at a small private event designed to create a space for conversation. The conversations hinged on creativity, curiosity and the extraordinary.

]]>http://electricsky.net/interview-with-dewitt-jones/feed/0One of my favourite lessons taught by Dewitt Jones is to study your tools and how to use them so you can capture the extraordinary no matter which tool happens to be in your hand at the time. Dewitt knows this well.One of my favourite lessons taught by Dewitt Jones is to study your tools and how to use them so you can capture the extraordinary no matter which tool happens to be in your hand at the time. Dewitt knows this well. His extraordinary photographs have graced pages and covers of National Geographic magazine for […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/interview-with-dewitt-jones/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/090824-ES-Portrait-75.mp3Interview with Hugh Brewsterhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/mvJIpILEXvw/
http://electricsky.net/interview-with-hugh-brewster/#respondMon, 17 Aug 2009 01:45:42 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=232A new all-ages book by historian and author, Hugh Brewster, explores the valour and determination of the Canadian forces as one problem after another stacked against them for the raid on German forces at Dieppe. His book includes details on the planning and execution of the raid, as well as the incredible stories of survival of Canadian soldiers that became German prisoners — several of whom escaped through (patiently) hand dug tunnels.

]]>http://electricsky.net/interview-with-hugh-brewster/feed/0A new all-ages book by historian and author, Hugh Brewster, explores the valour and determination of the Canadian forces as one problem after another stacked against them for the raid on German forces at Dieppe.A new all-ages book by historian and author, Hugh Brewster, explores the valour and determination of the Canadian forces as one problem after another stacked against them for the raid on German forces at Dieppe. His book includes details on the planning and execution of the raid, as well as the incredible stories of survival […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/interview-with-hugh-brewster/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/090816-ES-Portrait-74.mp3The Leadership Summit 2009: Leaders and Followershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/rG3CmNec_00/
http://electricsky.net/the-leadership-summit-2009-leaders-and-followers/#respondMon, 10 Aug 2009 01:55:12 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=231We tend to be myopic when we face challenges — it’s much more comfortable to focus inwards. Leaders are no exception. So, when leaders talk about thinking out of the box, they should be first in line.

This concept has been embraced by Bill Hybels who founded The Leadership Summit fifteen years ago. While the event has faith-based overtones, the concepts that are discussed are relevant to leaders of any community. In fact, this year’s program included Chip and Dan Heath, David Gergen, Bono and Tony Blair.

]]>http://electricsky.net/the-leadership-summit-2009-leaders-and-followers/feed/0We tend to be myopic when we face challenges — it’s much more comfortable to focus inwards. Leaders are no exception. So, when leaders talk about thinking out of the box, they should be first in line. This concept has been embraced by Bill Hybels who...We tend to be myopic when we face challenges — it’s much more comfortable to focus inwards. Leaders are no exception. So, when leaders talk about thinking out of the box, they should be first in line. This concept has been embraced by Bill Hybels who founded The Leadership Summit fifteen years ago. While the […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/the-leadership-summit-2009-leaders-and-followers/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/090809-ES-Portrait-73.mp3Stephen Gritt on Art Restoration and Conservationhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/XeicbgYoWKk/
http://electricsky.net/stephen-gritt-on-art-restoration-and-conservation/#commentsMon, 28 Apr 2008 02:01:16 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/stephen-gritt-on-art-restoration-and-conservation/It’s amazing who you can meet in a park during your child’s soccer game. I was introduced to Stephen Gritt on one such occasion last summer by someone who knew that Stephen would make a great guest for Electric Sky. They were right.

]]>http://electricsky.net/stephen-gritt-on-art-restoration-and-conservation/feed/2It’s amazing who you can meet in a park during your child’s soccer game. I was introduced to Stephen Gritt on one such occasion last summer by someone who knew that Stephen would make a great guest for Electric Sky. They were right.It’s amazing who you can meet in a park during your child’s soccer game. I was introduced to Stephen Gritt on one such occasion last summer by someone who knew that Stephen would make a great guest for Electric Sky. They were right. Show ID and intro Interview with Stephen Grit National Gallery of Canada […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/stephen-gritt-on-art-restoration-and-conservation/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/080427-ES-Portrait-72.mp3Jennifer Barnaby and Cakes for a Causehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/n-rmgIAhJ0U/
http://electricsky.net/jennifer-barnaby-and-cakes-for-a-cause/#respondTue, 22 Apr 2008 02:52:42 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/jennifer-barnaby-and-cakes-for-a-cause/During the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale (a huge community garage sale in Ottawa), my family stumbed on Jennifer Barnaby, a Cordon Bleu Chef who was serving baked goods she’d made while her husband, Jim, brewed up espresso and handled the transactions. Every single cent collected from the sales went directly to charity. They didn’t even recover their expenses.

That’s how I met Jim and Jennifer. I had one of their espressos and a piece of the most incredible cake I have ever had to kick off my garage sale spree. It might have been 9:30am.

]]>http://electricsky.net/jennifer-barnaby-and-cakes-for-a-cause/feed/0During the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale (a huge community garage sale in Ottawa), my family stumbed on Jennifer Barnaby, a Cordon Bleu Chef who was serving baked goods she’d made while her husband, Jim, brewed up espresso and handled the transactions...During the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale (a huge community garage sale in Ottawa), my family stumbed on Jennifer Barnaby, a Cordon Bleu Chef who was serving baked goods she’d made while her husband, Jim, brewed up espresso and handled the transactions. Every single cent collected from the sales went directly to charity. They didn’t […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/jennifer-barnaby-and-cakes-for-a-cause/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/080420-ES-Portrait-71.mp3Brad Blanton and Radical Honestyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/yuzSfRlfBos/
http://electricsky.net/brad-blanton-and-radical-honesty/#commentsSun, 13 Apr 2008 21:00:10 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/brad-blanton-and-radical-honesty/I’ve wanted to produce a documentary on honesty for almost three years. In preparation, I gathered some street audio on honesty and dishonesty, definitions of the ideas and self-analysis (unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced some of this audio). I also conducted an incredibly insightful interview with Brad Blanton whose book Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth I was reading at the time.

When I conducted this interview in 2005, Dr. Blanton was preparing to pursue a political career as an independent, green candidate on a platform of honesty.

I still have designs on producing a documentary on honesty. At the same time, I can’t keep this interview to myself any longer.

]]>http://electricsky.net/brad-blanton-and-radical-honesty/feed/1I’ve wanted to produce a documentary on honesty for almost three years. In preparation, I gathered some street audio on honesty and dishonesty, definitions of the ideas and self-analysis (unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced some of this audio).I’ve wanted to produce a documentary on honesty for almost three years. In preparation, I gathered some street audio on honesty and dishonesty, definitions of the ideas and self-analysis (unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced some of this audio). I also conducted an incredibly insightful interview with Brad Blanton whose book Radical Honesty: How to […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/brad-blanton-and-radical-honesty/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/080413-ES-Portrait-70.mp3Bracelets of Hopehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/H6T7-JUEKR4/
http://electricsky.net/bracelets-of-hope/#commentsSun, 06 Apr 2008 23:00:22 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/bracelets-of-hope/While in Perth, ON last August, I learned about Bracelets of Hope, an initiative to raise the money necessary to build a medical clinic for a Village of Hope in Harare, Zimbabwe — all by selling handmade bracelets. Even more impressive is that the initiative was dreamed up by a ten-year-old.

I met with Carrie-Anne Bauer and her mother, Pamela, in a park in Ottawa last August (2007) and conducted this interview. I’ve been beating myself up for not having released this interview sooner. That was before I received an update from Pamela this past Friday (April 4, 2008) . Her update inspired me to publish the interview now. I think it has more impact this way.

Photo of Carrie-Anne and the Bracelets of Hope provided by Pamela Bauer.

]]>http://electricsky.net/bracelets-of-hope/feed/4While in Perth, ON last August, I learned about Bracelets of Hope, an initiative to raise the money necessary to build a medical clinic for a Village of Hope in Harare, Zimbabwe — all by selling handmade bracelets.While in Perth, ON last August, I learned about Bracelets of Hope, an initiative to raise the money necessary to build a medical clinic for a Village of Hope in Harare, Zimbabwe — all by selling handmade bracelets. Even more impressive is that the initiative was dreamed up by a ten-year-old. I met with Carrie-Anne […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/bracelets-of-hope/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/080406-ES-Portrait-69.mp3Whale Watching on the Jolly Breezehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/HPl5HPdKw3c/
http://electricsky.net/whale-watching-on-the-jolly-breeze/#respondSun, 20 Jan 2008 11:00:31 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/whale-watching-on-the-jolly-breeze/Our family vacation in August 2007 was a two-week, unplugged, extravaganza down the Fundy side of New Brunswick. The camping was fantastic and we were able to witness the awesome vertical tides of the Bay of Fundy.

The highlight of our trip was a whale watching expedition on the Jolly Breeze, a tall ship based out of (beautiful) St. Andrews by the sea.

]]>http://electricsky.net/whale-watching-on-the-jolly-breeze/feed/0Our family vacation in August 2007 was a two-week, unplugged, extravaganza down the Fundy side of New Brunswick. The camping was fantastic and we were able to witness the awesome vertical tides of the Bay of Fundy.Our family vacation in August 2007 was a two-week, unplugged, extravaganza down the Fundy side of New Brunswick. The camping was fantastic and we were able to witness the awesome vertical tides of the Bay of Fundy. The highlight of our trip was a whale watching expedition on the Jolly Breeze, a tall ship based […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/whale-watching-on-the-jolly-breeze/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/080120-ES-Portrait-68.mp3Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity and Education (part 2 of 2)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/qQkA4yzTy84/
http://electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-2-of-2/#commentsSun, 07 Oct 2007 23:00:14 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-2-of-2/In the conclusion of this two part series, Sir Ken Robinson explains what ‘back to basics’ means, offers ways in which parents can help foster creativity in their children, and outlines his ideal school.

]]>http://electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-2-of-2/feed/5Sir Ken Robinson explains 'back to basics', offers ways in which parents can help foster creativity in their children, and outlines his ideal school.Sir Ken Robinson explains 'back to basics', offers ways in which parents can help foster creativity in their children, and outlines his ideal school.Mark Blevisclean11:38Electric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-2-of-2/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/071007-ES-Portrait-67.mp3Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity and Education (part 1 of 2)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/sG132alJMdY/
http://electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-1-of-2/#commentsMon, 01 Oct 2007 01:30:52 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-1-of-2/I first learned about Sir Ken Robinson and his research on creativity and the decline of creativity in education when I saw a video of a presentation he delivered at the TED conference (Do Schools Kill Creativity?). His book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative is an in depth analysis of education systems and the role of creativity as part of our ourselves and our education.

]]>http://electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-1-of-2/feed/1Sir Ken Robinson's book "Out of Our Minds" offers an in-depth analysis of education systems and the role of creativity as part of our development.Sir Ken Robinson's book "Out of Our Minds" offers an in-depth analysis of education systems and the role of creativity as part of our development.Mark Blevisclean9:18Electric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/sir-ken-robinson-on-creativity-and-education-part-1-of-2/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070930-ES-Portrait-66.mp3Promo: Recovery Program Documentaryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/U6qtjcx73cU/
http://electricsky.net/promo-recovery-program-documentary/#commentsThu, 12 Jul 2007 17:09:59 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/promo-recovery-program-documentary/In March 2006, I took a day off of work to spent time with the residents of Harvest House, a recovery program based in Ottawa. It was an incredibly educational and emotional day.

I am currently producing a thirty-minute documentary based on my experiences that day. The program will be available at Electric Sky later this summer.

]]>http://electricsky.net/promo-recovery-program-documentary/feed/1In March 2006, I took a day off of work to spent time with the residents of Harvest House, a recovery program based in Ottawa. It was an incredibly educational and emotional day. I am currently producing a thirty-minute documentary based on my experien...In March 2006, I took a day off of work to spent time with the residents of Harvest House, a recovery program based in Ottawa. It was an incredibly educational and emotional day. I am currently producing a thirty-minute documentary based on my experiences that day. The program will be available at Electric Sky later […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/promo-recovery-program-documentary/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/ES-Recovery-Promo.mp3Michael Kositsin and his amazing honey beeshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/hYa7HNnilrI/
http://electricsky.net/michael-kositsin-and-his-amazing-honey-bees/#commentsTue, 12 Jun 2007 01:07:06 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/michael-kositsin-and-his-amazing-honey-bees/Ottawa Valley Honey is one of the popular attractions at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market. Children and adults flock to this booth to study the section of beehive that is always a part of the display.

I had the opportunity to interview Michael Kositsin, one of the beekeepers, about his amazing honey bees.

]]>http://electricsky.net/michael-kositsin-and-his-amazing-honey-bees/feed/4Ottawa Valley Honey is one of the popular attractions at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market. Children and adults flock to this booth to study the section of beehive that is always a part of the display. I had the opportunity to interview Michael Kositsin,Ottawa Valley Honey is one of the popular attractions at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market. Children and adults flock to this booth to study the section of beehive that is always a part of the display. I had the opportunity to interview Michael Kositsin, one of the beekeepers, about his amazing honey bees. Show ID and […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/michael-kositsin-and-his-amazing-honey-bees/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070611-ES-Portrait-65.mp3William Hawkins and connecting with peoplehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/sgZpYgAHwpg/
http://electricsky.net/william-hawkins-and-connecting-with-people/#commentsMon, 04 Jun 2007 00:11:53 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/william-hawkins-and-connecting-with-people/In the same way that many people figured Wayne Gretzky would always play hockey, I cannot imagine a time when William Hawkins, Bill, will no longer be driving his cab. And driving a cab is only one of the many lives he has led.

Bill was part of the Ottawa music scene that centered around the Cafe Hibou. Among the drops ins to the scene were Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, John Hammond and Frank Zappa.

]]>http://electricsky.net/william-hawkins-and-connecting-with-people/feed/1In the same way that many people figured Wayne Gretzky would always play hockey, I cannot imagine a time when William Hawkins, Bill, will no longer be driving his cab. And driving a cab is only one of the many lives he has led.In the same way that many people figured Wayne Gretzky would always play hockey, I cannot imagine a time when William Hawkins, Bill, will no longer be driving his cab. And driving a cab is only one of the many lives he has led. Bill was part of the Ottawa music scene that centered around […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/william-hawkins-and-connecting-with-people/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070603-ES-Portrait-64.mp3Tod Maffin made me do ithttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/p41GBxF4Kys/
http://electricsky.net/tod-maffin-made-me-do-it/#commentsMon, 30 Apr 2007 03:06:57 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/tod-maffin-made-me-do-it/I released my very first Podcast on April 29, 2005. Tod Maffin made me do it. That is to say, I heard him talk about podcasting during a technology segment on CBC Radio. That, combined with Brent Bambury’s announcement that he was leaving CBC Ottawa resulted in the launch of Electric Sky.

In addition to all of my hobby podcasts, last year I started to produce a number of Podcasts on contract through my company, Third Storey. Suddenly this little seed that Tod planted had become an all encompassing way of life.

To celebrate my second anniversary as a podcaster, I invited the creator of the monster I have become to talk a bit about podcasting and how the movement looks two years later.

]]>http://electricsky.net/tod-maffin-made-me-do-it/feed/1I released my very first Podcast on April 29, 2005. Tod Maffin made me do it. That is to say, I heard him talk about podcasting during a technology segment on CBC Radio. That, combined with Brent Bambury’s announcement that he was leaving CBC Ottawa re...I released my very first Podcast on April 29, 2005. Tod Maffin made me do it. That is to say, I heard him talk about podcasting during a technology segment on CBC Radio. That, combined with Brent Bambury’s announcement that he was leaving CBC Ottawa resulted in the launch of Electric Sky. Electric Sky led […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/tod-maffin-made-me-do-it/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070429-ES-Portrait-63.mp3Alex Overwijk and the perfect freehand circlehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/cHoXpjNsODU/
http://electricsky.net/alex-overwijk-and-the-perfect-freehand-circle/#commentsSun, 08 Apr 2007 22:43:39 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/alex-overwijk-and-the-perfect-freehand-circle/In many respects, Alex Overwijk reminds me of my own high school math teachers – passionate, a good sense of humour and a unexpected skill that everyone knows them for. Alex is an unlikely celebrity for a viral YouTube video of him drawing a perfect freehand circle.

]]>http://electricsky.net/alex-overwijk-and-the-perfect-freehand-circle/feed/1In many respects, Alex Overwijk reminds me of my own high school math teachers – passionate, a good sense of humour and a unexpected skill that everyone knows them for. Alex is an unlikely celebrity for a viral YouTube video of him drawing a perfect fr...In many respects, Alex Overwijk reminds me of my own high school math teachers – passionate, a good sense of humour and a unexpected skill that everyone knows them for. Alex is an unlikely celebrity for a viral YouTube video of him drawing a perfect freehand circle. Show ID and Intro Interview with Alex Overwijk […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/alex-overwijk-and-the-perfect-freehand-circle/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070408-ES-Portrait-62.mp3Scrabble Tournament for Multiple Sclerosishttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/67Dhem9QWPI/
http://electricsky.net/scrabble-tournament-for-multiple-sclerosis/#commentsTue, 27 Mar 2007 03:18:06 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/scrabble-tournament-for-multiple-sclerosis/Since 2002, Pam Hunter has been organizing annual Scrabble tournaments to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. I dropped in on this year’s event and learned that, like baseball, Scrabble is rich with strategy and language including speed games, board-vision, heavy tiles and “box scores”.

]]>http://electricsky.net/scrabble-tournament-for-multiple-sclerosis/feed/1Since 2002, Pam Hunter has been organizing annual Scrabble tournaments to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. I dropped in on this year’s event and learned that, like baseball, Scrabble is rich with strategy and language including speed games,Since 2002, Pam Hunter has been organizing annual Scrabble tournaments to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. I dropped in on this year’s event and learned that, like baseball, Scrabble is rich with strategy and language including speed games, board-vision, heavy tiles and “box scores”. Show ID and Intro Interviews with participants and event organizer, Pam […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/scrabble-tournament-for-multiple-sclerosis/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070326-ES-Portrait-61.mp3Jeannie Hunter and the World Voices Choirhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/ecMjBMTwgdA/
http://electricsky.net/jeannie-hunter-and-the-world-voices-choir/#commentsMon, 19 Mar 2007 03:42:34 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/jeannie-hunter-and-the-world-voices-choir/Quite by chance, my family and I learned about the CD release party for The World Voices Choir, an event that took place just over a month ago. We made it a family event — that includes our two daughters ages five and seven. It was an amazing and inspirational experience, and it raised money for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.

]]>http://electricsky.net/jeannie-hunter-and-the-world-voices-choir/feed/4Quite by chance, my family and I learned about the CD release party for The World Voices Choir, an event that took place just over a month ago. We made it a family event — that includes our two daughters ages five and seven.Quite by chance, my family and I learned about the CD release party for The World Voices Choir, an event that took place just over a month ago. We made it a family event — that includes our two daughters ages five and seven. It was an amazing and inspirational experience, and it raised money […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/jeannie-hunter-and-the-world-voices-choir/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070318-ES-Portrait-60.mp3June Creelman on creating museum exhibitshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/GZGBPycS8nw/
http://electricsky.net/june-creelman-on-creating-museum-exhibits/#commentsMon, 12 Feb 2007 03:30:12 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/june-creelman-on-creating-museum-exhibits/On a recent visit to the Canadian Museum of Nature, we were polled for our opinions on a proposed exhibit on water. A display of four concepts were on display for public comment. I had never considered how museum exhibits were conceived, planned and pulled together.

]]>http://electricsky.net/june-creelman-on-creating-museum-exhibits/feed/1On a recent visit to the Canadian Museum of Nature, we were polled for our opinions on a proposed exhibit on water. A display of four concepts were on display for public comment. I had never considered how museum exhibits were conceived,On a recent visit to the Canadian Museum of Nature, we were polled for our opinions on a proposed exhibit on water. A display of four concepts were on display for public comment. I had never considered how museum exhibits were conceived, planned and pulled together. Show ID and Intro Interview with June Creelman of […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/june-creelman-on-creating-museum-exhibits/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070211-ES-Portrait-59.mp3Thomas Wartenberg and Philosophy for Childrenhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/EQdtS2x5r4s/
http://electricsky.net/thomas-wartenberg-and-philosophy-for-children/#respondMon, 05 Feb 2007 05:00:48 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/thomas-wartenberg-and-philosophy-for-children/Thomas Wartenberg has created an entire program for his philosophy class at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The program teaches his students how to facilitate a philosophical discussion with grade 1 through 5 students using picture books. The results are amazing.

]]>http://electricsky.net/thomas-wartenberg-and-philosophy-for-children/feed/0Thomas Wartenberg has created an entire program for his philosophy class at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The program teaches his students how to facilitate a philosophical discussion with grade 1 through 5 students using pictur...Thomas Wartenberg has created an entire program for his philosophy class at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The program teaches his students how to facilitate a philosophical discussion with grade 1 through 5 students using picture books. The results are amazing. Show ID and Intro Interview with Thomas Wartenberg Philosophy for Children The […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/thomas-wartenberg-and-philosophy-for-children/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070204-ES-Portrait-58.mp3Canadian Coast Guard Commissioner George Da Ponthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/QsLXjn6eYgI/
http://electricsky.net/canadian-coast-guard-commissioner-george-da-pont/#respondMon, 22 Jan 2007 02:17:21 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/canadian-coast-guard-commissioner-george-da-pont/For no apparent reason, I have always assumed that any coast guard operation was a military outfit. It turns out I was wrong. To learn more, I sat down with the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Mr. George Da Pont.

]]>http://electricsky.net/canadian-coast-guard-commissioner-george-da-pont/feed/0For no apparent reason, I have always assumed that any coast guard operation was a military outfit. It turns out I was wrong. To learn more, I sat down with the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Mr. George Da Pont.For no apparent reason, I have always assumed that any coast guard operation was a military outfit. It turns out I was wrong. To learn more, I sat down with the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Mr. George Da Pont. Show ID and Intro Interview with Commissioner George Da Pont Search and Rescue Ice […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/canadian-coast-guard-commissioner-george-da-pont/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/070121-ES-Portrait-57.mp3Happy Holidayshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/yz2NkEuN69c/
http://electricsky.net/happy-holidays/#respondMon, 18 Dec 2006 02:24:51 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/happy-holidays/This is an unusual episode of Electric Sky in which I cut loose with my other Rogic Conglomerites to bring you a festive song.

Thank you very much for being a part of the Electric Sky audience.

All the best to you and yours for a happy, healthy and safe holiday season – no matter how you celebrate it.

]]>http://electricsky.net/happy-holidays/feed/0This is an unusual episode of Electric Sky in which I cut loose with my other Rogic Conglomerites to bring you a festive song. Thank you very much for being a part of the Electric Sky audience. All the best to you and yours for a happy,This is an unusual episode of Electric Sky in which I cut loose with my other Rogic Conglomerites to bring you a festive song. Thank you very much for being a part of the Electric Sky audience. All the best to you and yours for a happy, healthy and safe holiday season – no matter […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/happy-holidays/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061217-ES-HappyHolidays.mp3Stephen Hardiman on storytelling as a business toolhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/0zQ_illoMyw/
http://electricsky.net/stephen-hardiman-on-storytelling-as-a-business-tool/#commentsTue, 05 Dec 2006 01:28:36 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/stephen-hardiman-on-storytelling-as-a-business-tool/During a recent conversation about social media, my friend, Stephen Hardiman, started to talk about storytelling as a business tool. It was one of those times when I cut people off and tell them to save it for when the tape is rolling. Since Stephen has a radio background – he hosted Expert Radio, a radio show on Radio America – he completely understood.

]]>http://electricsky.net/stephen-hardiman-on-storytelling-as-a-business-tool/feed/2During a recent conversation about social media, my friend, Stephen Hardiman, started to talk about storytelling as a business tool. It was one of those times when I cut people off and tell them to save it for when the tape is rolling.During a recent conversation about social media, my friend, Stephen Hardiman, started to talk about storytelling as a business tool. It was one of those times when I cut people off and tell them to save it for when the tape is rolling. Since Stephen has a radio background – he hosted Expert Radio, a […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/stephen-hardiman-on-storytelling-as-a-business-tool/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061203-ES-Portrait-56.mp3Experiencing a Shuttle Launchhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/Uw8sepaVIPw/
http://electricsky.net/experiencing-a-shuttle-launch/#respondMon, 27 Nov 2006 03:01:10 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/experiencing-a-shuttle-launch/As a gift for his fiftieth birthday, Suzanne Roy-Seguin helped her husband, Yves Seguin, realize his dream of experiencing the launch of a Space Shuttle. I spoke with them about how they experienced this incredible event given that Yves is blind and Suzanne is legally blind – both from Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).

]]>http://electricsky.net/experiencing-a-shuttle-launch/feed/0As a gift for his fiftieth birthday, Suzanne Roy-Seguin helped her husband, Yves Seguin, realize his dream of experiencing the launch of a Space Shuttle. I spoke with them about how they experienced this incredible event given that Yves is blind and Su...As a gift for his fiftieth birthday, Suzanne Roy-Seguin helped her husband, Yves Seguin, realize his dream of experiencing the launch of a Space Shuttle. I spoke with them about how they experienced this incredible event given that Yves is blind and Suzanne is legally blind – both from Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Show ID […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/experiencing-a-shuttle-launch/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061126-ES-Portrait-55.mp3Tell Me About Honestyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/GreWeBWZBxw/
http://electricsky.net/tell-me-about-honesty/#respondMon, 20 Nov 2006 01:39:06 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/tell-me-about-honesty/I’m finally putting some energy back into creating a documentary on honesty and I need your help – this after a year-and-a-half of threatening to do so. I’m looking for email and audio comments that will be used anonymously on my program.

]]>http://electricsky.net/tell-me-about-honesty/feed/0I’m finally putting some energy back into creating a documentary on honesty and I need your help – this after a year-and-a-half of threatening to do so. I’m looking for email and audio comments that will be used anonymously on my program.I’m finally putting some energy back into creating a documentary on honesty and I need your help – this after a year-and-a-half of threatening to do so. I’m looking for email and audio comments that will be used anonymously on my program. I’m looking for you to provide any of the following information: What is […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/tell-me-about-honesty/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061119-ES-On_Honesty.mp3Sheree Fitch and The Theology of Nonsensehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/CA9R6htWg68/
http://electricsky.net/sheree-fitch-and-the-theology-of-nonsense/#respondMon, 13 Nov 2006 02:43:38 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/sheree-fitch-and-the-theology-of-nonsense/Sheree Fitch is the author of more than twenty children’s picture and poetry books, a young adult book called Gravesavers, and several plays.

During a conversation with Sheree for Just One More Book (another Podcast I produce with my wife, Andrea), Sheree introduced an idea she has called The Theology of Nonsense. I had to have it on Electric Sky.

]]>http://electricsky.net/sheree-fitch-and-the-theology-of-nonsense/feed/0Sheree Fitch is the author of more than twenty children’s picture and poetry books, a young adult book called Gravesavers, and several plays. During a conversation with Sheree for Just One More Book (another Podcast I produce with my wife, Andrea),Sheree Fitch is the author of more than twenty children’s picture and poetry books, a young adult book called Gravesavers, and several plays. During a conversation with Sheree for Just One More Book (another Podcast I produce with my wife, Andrea), Sheree introduced an idea she has called The Theology of Nonsense. I had to […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/sheree-fitch-and-the-theology-of-nonsense/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061113-ES-Portrait-54.mp3Model Railroadinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/ZzkeL06mASc/
http://electricsky.net/model-railroading/#respondSun, 29 Oct 2006 23:00:14 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/model-railroading/I attended the Railfair 2006 at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The setups were incredibly elaborate and the exhibitors were more than happy to talk about their hobbies.

]]>http://electricsky.net/model-railroading/feed/0I attended the Railfair 2006 at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The setups were incredibly elaborate and the exhibitors were more than happy to talk about their hobbies. Show ID and Intro Interview with Neil Hutton of Cumberland Third Rail Railfair 2006 v...I attended the Railfair 2006 at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The setups were incredibly elaborate and the exhibitors were more than happy to talk about their hobbies. Show ID and Intro Interview with Neil Hutton of Cumberland Third Rail Railfair 2006 video on YouTube How to subscribe to Electric Sky – it’s free.Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/model-railroading/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061029-ES-Portrait-53.mp3Thomas Grande on Qui Tamhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/iwCEy8_NYC4/
http://electricsky.net/thomas-grande-on-qui-tam/#respondMon, 09 Oct 2006 01:16:05 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/thomas-grande-on-qui-tam/Sometimes a chance meeting can take place when you grab the wrong airport shuttle. That’s exactly what happened to me when I arrived in San Francisco this past June. I shared a shuttle with Thomas Grande and his wife. Mr. Grande practices Qui Tam law and he gave me a brief education before we arrived at his hotel. I was able to recapture a bit of that discussion earlier this week when I called Mr. Grande at his office in Hawaii.

Note: At the time that this interview was conducted, Mr. Grande was a partner with Davis Levin Livingston Grande Attorneys.Â This post has been updated to reflect that change.

]]>http://electricsky.net/thomas-grande-on-qui-tam/feed/0Sometimes a chance meeting can take place when you grab the wrong airport shuttle. That’s exactly what happened to me when I arrived in San Francisco this past June. I shared a shuttle with Thomas Grande and his wife. Mr.Sometimes a chance meeting can take place when you grab the wrong airport shuttle. That’s exactly what happened to me when I arrived in San Francisco this past June. I shared a shuttle with Thomas Grande and his wife. Mr. Grande practices Qui Tam law and he gave me a brief education before we arrived […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/thomas-grande-on-qui-tam/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061008-ES-Portrait-52.mp3Ashley LaFavehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/1wtllFaADo8/
http://electricsky.net/ashley-lafave/#respondMon, 02 Oct 2006 03:26:07 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/ashley-lafave/There’s a certain irony with the timing of this episode. Nevertheless, I am amazed by Ashley’s passion for, and commitment to, her rabbits.

]]>http://electricsky.net/ashley-lafave/feed/0There’s a certain irony with the timing of this episode. Nevertheless, I am amazed by Ashley’s passion for, and commitment to, her rabbits. Show ID and intro Interview with Ashley LaFave of the Spencerville Hillside Rabbitry How to subscribe to Electri...There’s a certain irony with the timing of this episode. Nevertheless, I am amazed by Ashley’s passion for, and commitment to, her rabbits. Show ID and intro Interview with Ashley LaFave of the Spencerville Hillside Rabbitry How to subscribe to Electric Sky – it’s free.Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/ashley-lafave/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/061001-ES-Portrait-51.mp3Red Fridayshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/l7CZjaiS2HI/
http://electricsky.net/red-fridays/#respondMon, 25 Sep 2006 06:32:53 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/red-fridays/It’s a simple idea: wear red on Fridays to show support for the troops and families of the Canadian military. It’s not about politics or ideology. It’s about people. It’s called Red Fridays and it was organized by Karen Boire and Lisa Miller.

]]>http://electricsky.net/red-fridays/feed/0It’s a simple idea: wear red on Fridays to show support for the troops and families of the Canadian military. It’s not about politics or ideology. It’s about people. It’s called Red Fridays and it was organized by Karen Boire and Lisa Miller.It’s a simple idea: wear red on Fridays to show support for the troops and families of the Canadian military. It’s not about politics or ideology. It’s about people. It’s called Red Fridays and it was organized by Karen Boire and Lisa Miller. Show ID and Intro Interview with Karen Boire and Lisa Miller Married […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/red-fridays/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060924-ES-Portrait-50.mp3His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/uSGAxTAxxuA/
http://electricsky.net/his-holiness-sri-sri-ravi-shankar/#commentsSun, 17 Sep 2006 23:00:22 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/his-holiness-sri-sri-ravi-shankar/His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is touring the world as part of the celebration of the Art of Living Foundation‘s twenty-fifth anniversary. I spoke with him during his stop in Ottawa.

[Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric Sky.

Mark Blevis: In February of this year, two-and-a-half million people including religious and political leaders of all faiths and backgrounds gathered in Bangalore, India to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Art of Living Foundation. I’m your host, Mark Blevis. On this edition of Portrait, humanitarian, spiritual leader, founder of The Art of Living Foundation and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Things are in concept in the mind about peace and love, but how to bring that in day-to-day life and how to get rid of all the negativity, how to break down the barriers and prejudice against each other?

What was bothering me was the prejudice that people had between urban and rural, between different religious groups or gender or race. I want to break down this prejudice in the minds of people and to become like children again and relate with each other with heart, sincerity and love.

We find that stress is the main cause that blocks people. Lack of understanding is testimony to that. So, we put together this program, The Art of Living. It all began very simply. I just started teaching whatever I knew to a bunch of people in the drawing room and then word of mouth, it kept growing.

Mark Blevis: It grew to two-and-a-half million people in one place.

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yeah.

Mark Blevis: You have mentioned religion. In your mind, is there a distinction between religion and spirituality?

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes. Spirituality is the essence of all religions. There is some common trait between all religions, it is spirituality, but in spirituality, you are in contact with the divinity deep within. Spirituality is honouring life. Spirituality is love and compassion, service. See?

The communication or communion with God can happen only in spirituality. Religion is the external thing though the central part of every religion is spirituality, but unfortunately people are more stuck in the outer periphery rather than reaching the center chord.

Mark Blevis: Do you think the concept of secular spirituality is threatening to religious leaders?

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: They shouldn’t because they must be tired by now with all the conflict, you see.

A religious leader cannot afford to think “only these people belong to me.” When a Catholic priest prays, he should pray for the entire population of the world, not just for only Catholics; or a Buddhist monk when he prays, he doesn’t pray only for his people. Or even for that matter, a Muslim imam or a Hindu priest. I feel when a swami prays or a priest prays, they pray for the entire world and if they are not, the prayer is not very fruitful.

Mark Blevis: The other interesting point that I see mentioned in a lot of your literature is the blame culture. Do you think that we can get past the blame culture and what are ways that we can do that?

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A stress-free mind will stop blaming. If you are stressed, you start blaming; either you blame yourself or blame somebody else. Wherever you begin you end up in the other. So, to get over the blame culture we need to be more compassionate.

When you see a culprit is also a victim, when you broaden your horizon, you will see that every culprit is also a victim. So then you can’t be angry on a victim. You will not take revenge on a victim. Inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help. We need to heal that victim. Help them out. Non-violence and compassion should be the guiding force. If this is prevalent in our society, we can definitely make a difference. It may sound very impractical, but we will have to move in that direction because non-violence is — nobody likes violence for themselves, but we need to bring those values in life. It has to come from education and from culturing.

Just for example, nobody litters in Ottawa, but if you go to third world countries, people are littering. What is the difference? Because that has been a part of education. Everyone, mostly, follows the rule and they drive on the right side here and left side in England and that’s a matter of education. Similarly, dental hygiene, the physical hygiene we teach, but we are not teaching mental hygiene where you should handle rage and anger and frustration and depression and these sorts of antisocial feelings. That’s where yoga, meditation, breathing, all these techniques will be of immense help to bring such a balance in the mind and softness in the heart and behaviour.

Mark Blevis: At your Silver Jubilee back in February, you had two-and-a-half million people in India and among them were religious and spiritual leaders and people of backgrounds of every sort. What was it about the Silver Jubilee that drew all these people to one place and to one mind?

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, Silver Jubilee was to be celebrated and we have known people would all be coming from all over the world because anywhere we had to celebrate, somewhere we had to begin that. So, we had to make the big arrangements for that and we invited religious leaders. They readily accepted and we had nearly one thousand religious leaders of all denominations and many political leaders and three-thousand-eight-hundred musicians all on the same stage.

Yeah, I know, you look back now and see it’s a humongous task. Mind you there was no traffic jam even. There was no incident. That was what somebody asked me in the Belgium Parliament. He said, “Here in Belgium, we have a soccer game where ten-thousand people coming, there are a hundred casualties. We need to have five hundred police. How could you manage 2.5 million people?” I said, “The peace and silence and the non-violence as main theme and goal will make everyone move in that direction.” I think it’s our intention when we want to bring that non-violence and meditation as part of our event in the society, people will get into it.

Mark Blevis: Has anything changed in the world or through your organization since the Silver Jubilee?

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A Silver Jubilee is just an event, but a lot of social work is happening through the organization whether in tsunami or recent flooding in parts of India or earthquake or bomb blast, train bomb blast. Trauma relief work is going on. We are keeping the temper cool on the planet wherever we can reach. Of course, Israel and Lebanon we are not able to reach as much as we would love to. We need more volunteers.

Generally, I feel the stress and depression level wherever we have started working have tremendously changed. I still feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. There is a lot be done, a lot to be done in this field to educate people, to handle their emotions and to be happy and compassionate.

Mark Blevis: Show notes and links to resources discussed in this episode can be found on my website, electricsky.net. While you’re there, be sure to check out my podcast archives. The theme song for Portrait is Bigfoot by Robert Farrell. Electric Sky is a proud member of the Rogic Podcast Conglomerate. Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

Send feedback to electricskypodcast@gmail.com.

]]>http://electricsky.net/his-holiness-sri-sri-ravi-shankar/feed/107His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is touring the world as part of the celebration of the Art of Living Foundation‘s twenty-fifth anniversary. I spoke with him during his stop in Ottawa. Show ID and Intro Interview with His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar...His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is touring the world as part of the celebration of the Art of Living Foundation‘s twenty-fifth anniversary. I spoke with him during his stop in Ottawa. Show ID and Intro Interview with His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar How to SUBSCRIBE to Electric Sky – it’s free. Transcript of […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/his-holiness-sri-sri-ravi-shankar/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060917-ES-Portrait-49.mp3We interrupt this programhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/ERVDgsV3xtk/
http://electricsky.net/we-interrupt-this-program/#commentsSat, 02 Sep 2006 22:00:56 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/we-interrupt-this-program/Unfortunately, we were the target of a robbery and, as a result, I will be unable to produce Electric Sky until I replace my stolen equipment. Everyone is okay.

I hope to be rolling again as soon as possible.

]]>http://electricsky.net/we-interrupt-this-program/feed/9Unfortunately, we were the target of a robbery and, as a result, I will be unable to produce Electric Sky until I replace my stolen equipment. Everyone is okay. I hope to be rolling again as soon as possible.Unfortunately, we were the target of a robbery and, as a result, I will be unable to produce Electric Sky until I replace my stolen equipment. Everyone is okay. I hope to be rolling again as soon as possible.Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/we-interrupt-this-program/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/ES_Interrupted.mp3Lee Edward Fodihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/tpGsuixUo0g/
http://electricsky.net/lee-edward-fodi/#commentsSun, 27 Aug 2006 23:00:01 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/lee-edward-fodi/

Imagine a children’s fantasy book that entertains, inspires and illustrates the magic of facing ourselves. Imagine that book enjoys enough success to merit a sequel. That book is Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers.

[Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric Sky.

Mark Blevis: Every picture tells a story. Some tell a book, and then another. I am your host Mark Blevis. On this edition of Portrait, author and illustrator Lee Edward Fodi.

Lee Edward Fodi: I think in a visual way and I get so many of my ideas either by looking at other peoples’ art or to my own art. With this book, I had actually just finished writing my first book, which had been published by a different publisher, a small press out of New York. It was quite exhausting.

So I was just in my studio painting one day just trying to let my imagination unravel and relax and I was painting this picture of these small characters sneaking past a giant eye. You couldn’t necessarily tell what the eye belonged to but I worked on this painting and I ended up with these small characters sneaking past the giant red dragon and I realized when I was done painting it that I actually had a story in this painting because I had some tiny characters. One of them was carrying a box that was glowing and another had a key and what-not and I realized when I sat back and looked at this, I went, “Wait a minute. There’s probably some kind of story going on with this painting.”

So I began asking myself a few questions like ‘why are these characters in this situation?’ and ‘what is in this box?’ and just from that whole painting I ended up with the book Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. So I like to say that in my case the picture is worth 43,000 words, more than a thousand words.

Mark Blevis: In the story — I do not want to give away the Box of Whispers, the ending anyway, because it’s quite unexpected. Where did you come up with the concept of having a message built into the book that wasn’t preachy and really delivered a good foundation?

Lee Edward Fodi: Well, first I’m glad that you don’t think it’s preachy because that certainly wasn’t my intent and I can say that I… You know, I don’t put a lot of conscious thought – I do not think I do anyway – into messages during the writing process. I think with this book I really did start out with writing a story about some characters who had to go find their precious box that had been stolen by this thief.

As the story developed, I began to realize – as the characters began to grow as they inevitably do during the writing process – certain dots became connected. Of course what we know that what is inside the box are all the secrets of these characters and originally they went and they found the box and the ending is pretty much as we know it.

It didn’t pack much punch in the very first draft. What I realized as I was writing the story along the way, I had that adventure where Kendra saves the life of the monster, the Unger called Trooogul and she decides to keep that a secret. Of course, as soon as that happened in the story, it really took the book to a new level and it really made Kendra have a personal journey in this book whereas before it was very much a generic one. I’m just delighted that it actually turned out that way.

It hit home for me and I am glad to hear that it hit home with a few of my readers. A lot of the readers really loved the ending where she confronts that box because it is such a personal situation now whereas in the very first draft it was just, oh I don’t know, a little bit more action packed, but not so much emotionally intense.

Mark Blevis: Did you consider that this would lead to a series of books or at least a sequel?

Lee Edward Fodi: I did with this book because for one thing I knew that there were a couple of plot elements if you will that I just didn’t have room to tie up with sufficient — I could not tie them up sufficiently. There is the whole subplot in this book of Kendra’s quest to find out what became of her family because as we know she lives with her Uncle Griffinskitch. He’s her guardian. She drew out the book as wondering what became of her mother, her father and her brother. I couldn’t give that sufficient detail on the book. I didn’t want to throw it in at the end, “Oh, by the way, here’s what happened to her family.” At the same time, I thought well if it is not ever revealed in this book that’s okay and if I never write another book it ends happily enough.

The book has been fairly successful. I get so many e-mails from kids wanting more. It really seems to connect with Kendra Kandlestar and some of the other characters and it is the number one question I get. Is she going to go on another journey? Is she going to solve the mystery of what became of her family? I never really thought about what the answer to that question is while I was writing this first book. Now, I have started asking those questions and I have started coming up with few of the answers.

For me, to write a book, it takes a lot of energy and it has to be a pretty enjoyable journey. I’ve got what I think is a pretty good idea for the sequel. I’m pretty excited about it. I’m hard at work at on it. I am probably about threequarters the way through the first draft and I think it’s going to be pretty surprising to my readers. There’s no shortage of surprises in the second book. All the old gang is going to be there, but there is a nice little twist which I hope pleases my readers. That is for sure.

Mark Blevis: Do you find that there is more pressure on you for the sequel?

Lee Edward Fodi: Yes, I do actually now that you mentioned that. Only in the sense that when I’m writing a book, obviously introducing characters that noone’s ever heard of, there’s obviously no expectations from my readers. For people who are to know the first book and want to read more, they have a certain expectation, you know?

You do become a little bit of a hostage to some of these things because I know I need to make sure — for example I need to make sure Captain Jinx is in the book because she is a character — the grasshopper in the first book is the tough one with all the weapons and the rather bad attitude I suppose, but she’s a fan favorite, so I know I have to make sure Jinx plays some sort of role in this book.

Mark Blevis: Your website suggests that you do a lot of public speaking, that you’re out and active in schools and communities, and there’s always pictures of you drawing the characters and you are wearing a fun hat. You really look like you are actively engaged with the audience. When you deliver your sessions, what is it like for you?

Lee Edward Fodi: Oh, it’s completely invigorating. I mean love doing it. Personally, I love the smaller ones, the smaller groups, a little bit better because it affords me an opportunity to connect with individuals better than when it’s a large group. I can’t see the kid in the back row, but I get in a real high and I have a real… You know it’s an energy — the energy goes both ways. I put all my energy into those sessions but I get a lot of energy back and it’s just a really invigorating experience for me personally.

Before I became an author, I never really thought about the public presentation aspect of this type of career and a lot of authors I think are somewhat notorious for not wanting to be in public or not liking to speak in public and I’m just darn lucky that I like it because I never — that was something I did not really know about myself until I was afforded this opportunity to start going into schools. Now, I actually teach creative writing to kids as well. That’s slightly a different experience because we’re working on more of a — with ten to fifteen kids at a time. It’s a little bit more — even more educational, a little bit more institutional. It’s the same thing. It’s a great exchange of ideas. It’s a wonderful experience. I don’t know if it inspires me in the sense that it gives me specific ideas for books, but it inspires me in a general sense.

I just love working with the kids and hearing their ideas. They’re so fresh and enthusiastic and sometimes they come up with ideas that are a hundred times better than anything I would ever come up with because they’re just that much more original and fresh.

[Portrait theme music]

Mark Blevis: Links and more information can be found in the show notes on my website, electricsky.net. While you’re there, be sure to check out my podcast archives and my behind the scenes and outtakes feed, ES2. The theme song for Portrait is Bigfoot by Robert Farrell. Electric Sky is a proud member of the Rogic Podcast Conglomerate. Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

Send feedback to electricskypodcast@gmail.com.

]]>http://electricsky.net/lee-edward-fodi/feed/2Imagine a children’s fantasy book that entertains, inspires and illustrates the magic of facing ourselves. Imagine that book enjoys enough success to merit a sequel. That book is Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers.Imagine a children’s fantasy book that entertains, inspires and illustrates the magic of facing ourselves. Imagine that book enjoys enough success to merit a sequel. That book is Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. Show ID and Intro Interview with Lee Edward Fodi Hear a review of Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/lee-edward-fodi/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060827-ES-Portrait-48.mp3Miles Copelandhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/oc81RNWzrDQ/
http://electricsky.net/miles-copeland/#commentsMon, 21 Aug 2006 01:28:52 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/miles-copeland/Miles Copeland has made a career of doing what others felt was crazy. In the process, he changed the music and entertainment business with acts such as The Police and The Bellydance Superstars.

Miles Copeland: This is Miles Copeland and you’re listening to Electric Sky.

[Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric Sky.

Mark Blevis: It takes vision, confidence and a lot of passion to make an idea success especially when others think you’re crazy. I am your host, Mark Blevis. On this edition of Portrait, a man whose ideas and personal dedication have played a significant role in shaping the music and entertainment industries for 30 years, Miles Copeland.

Mark Blevis: Which three ideas are you most proud of?

Miles Copeland: The Bellydance Superstars, which is my current project, because everybody thought I was crazy to do that and it’s succeeding. I guess secondary to that would be my promotion of Arabic music which everybody thought was crazy after September 11th and, of course, getting involved in the whole punk-rock era of The Police and all of the bands that came out of that Wall of Voodoo and Oingo Boingo and Squeeze and all that sort of thing. I mean that was another period where, again, it was considered whacko to be dealing with this kind of music. So, those are really kind of the three areas that I would say were definitely out of the box.

Mark Blevis: And they’re all incredibly successful, which begs the question why aren’t more people daring like you?

Miles Copeland: Well, there are, but they’re in different walks of life. I mean there are people that are making huge successes in the computer world, in the Internet world, and all sorts of places and those people become successful, but it’s often; I’m actually writing a book at the moment called Marketing the Impossible and I sort of say that sometimes the most left feel things, the things that are mistakes that become the big successes.

In the laboratory, you put two chemicals together to try to make fire and it turns out it cures cancer. So, it’s sometimes mistakes that lead to great things and it’s a matter of being able to spot them and have the right attitude to be able to spot them.

I think there’s successes in every walk of life.

In the music world, people tend — the problem of the entertainment world is that people tend to want to follow successes. So, if a movie about a mouse is successful, then the next studio says, “Well, gee, we better have a mouse movie,” and if a French group happens then the next label comes along and said, “Gee, we need a French group.” So they tend to be followers. I think that usually means that you get one or two things in and then it’s like, well, it’s not unique and original. Most people do not want to venture out and do things on their own because it’s risky. There’s no guide. Like what I did to Bellydance Superstars. There was no other dance troupe like it in the world, so who are you going to point to as your template? You just have to just create it from scratch, but that’s what makes it exciting.

Mark Blevis: How do you create those processes by scratch?

Miles Copeland: Well, you just do it. You’re going to fail sometimes, you’re going to win sometimes, but I think if you believe in it and you think the thing is good there should be enough people — I always felt that I was not such a freak, but if something I really liked, that very fact was enough to make me think, “Well, if I like it, there must be some other people to. I just have to find those people.”

Mark Blevis: So thinking in terms of record industry then from your early days, well they even pre-date 1976, but let us go back 30 years for argument’s sake. What are the significant differences between 1976 and 2006?

Miles Copeland: Well the Internet has meant music is so available and it’s so free that it’s very hard to make money in the traditional ways where you could sell an album and that in itself would be a moneymaking business. Now you tend to think in terms of, “Well, I got to sell an album, I got to sell a T-shirt, I got to sell a concert ticket, I got to sell the program, I got to sell the sponsorship, I got to sell-” and it all adds up.

You have to now look at it as an overall business as opposed to compartmentalized where you just do the song, you do the album, you do this or that. That’s the major difference. I think that the advent of the Internet is exciting on one level, but it’s a problem on another and digital rights are very hard to protect.

Mark Blevis: To the outsider it seems that the music industry is far less creative than it used to be and perhaps even agile as well. Do you think the industry has the same sense of daring it once had — or do you think it ever had any sense of daring?

Miles Copeland: Well I think the industry had — I think there’s those who have been daring and those that are not. I think it’s as exciting today. It’s very easy to say, “Oh, well the music’s different now.” I think for an 18- or for a 17-year-old, he would not think so, but we tend to get older and we do not really know what’s going on.

I think there’s a lot of great music being made today but I would not necessarily know about it because I am not looking at it the same way I did when I was 18. I mean it’s always dangerous to say, “Well, you know, it isn’t the same anymore.” The structure’s different. The way you make money is different but I think music will always be — there will be always interesting music coming.

Mark Blevis: Does the music industry treat the, I guess the creative process of music and the promotion of music differently now than it did? I mean, obviously the Internet…

Miles Copeland: Well, it has to because they — it has to treat it differently now because the finances are different. It’s much harder to make money. The number one selling record in the United States about three weeks ago sold 85,000 copies. That’s a disaster. To sell only 85,000 copies and you’re the number one record in the country? That just means that the economics of advertising and marketing have just gone through the toilet. Eight years ago, a label might not have — they would have spent $2-3 million promoting a record and thought nothing of it. Now, they spent half a million and it’s an issue. It means the acts have to learn more about how to promote themselves than to rely on the label because the labels do not have the money anymore.

Mark Blevis: Okay. This actually brings up an interesting point. Do you think the balance of power has shifted from the majors to the independents or do you think that the majors still have the strength that they need to move to the next level?

Miles Copeland: There’s no set rule on that. I think a hot act is very powerful no matter what the situation is. I think if a label happens to be very strong and it has a lot of good relationships, they can open doors for people, but the problem is that the economics have made things very difficult right now for the majors and for smaller companies. Well, actually the very small companies and the very big companies I think always will succeed. It’s the ones in the middle who do not quite have enough money to really go for it, but they still got a big overhead and everything is a little scarier. I think a really big company who has got all the facility if they decide to push a button, the chances they can come through are greater than the middle company who puts the hammer down and then three weeks later isn’t working fast enough and they panic because they make a mistake they are out of business and here is where they pull the plug. A small company that has no overhead can kind of be risky, can take more risks. You’re neither a fish nor foul, that’s the real danger in this business.

Mark Blevis: Now I would consider and many people would consider the Bellydance Superstars to be an unqualified success and you basically rammed with that on your own.

Miles Copeland: Yeah, yeah. Well, that was not easy. I had to do it on my own because nobody would listen to me. They would all laugh at me and thinking, “Well this isn’t gonna work,” but we did it by keeping the costs down and being very careful where we went and building it step by step same way we did with The Police. If The Police had been a six-piece group and they all needed big salaries, we needed big road, trucks and big equipment, The Police would have never happened. The same with the Bellydance Superstars as if they had been –if I had to pay fortunes for everything, but everybody realized what we were doing and since nobody — it was the only professional troop in the world. The girls kind of rolled their shirtsleeves up and said, “Let’s make this happen,” because what was the alternative? It was the only game in town.

Mark Blevis: The Copeland family is clearly creative. I mean Ian documents that in his book Wild Thing, Stewart obviously his accomplishments speak for themselves and as do yours. Where does that creativity come from?

Miles Copeland: I think we were always encouraged when we were young that we could do anything if we just put our minds to it and I think it comes from that. I mean I say that because I have cousins on both sides of my family who are as smart, if not smarter than we are, on our side of the family but they never succeeded in doing anything because in both cases the parents were very cynical about their kids being successful.

My father and mother were always very encouraging and I think we never thought about it. We just thought, “Yeah, we can do music, why not? Let’s do it,” and nobody would stand there going, “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t do that. You’re stupid. You can’t do it.” I think just the basic positive attitude — and it’s whether you have certain good instincts and you are smart enough and you learn by your mistakes.

[Portrait theme music]

Mark Blevis: Links and more information can be found in the show notes on my website electricsky.net. While you’re there, be sure to check out my podcast archives and my outtakes and behind the scenes feed, ES2. The theme song for Portrait is Bigfoot by Robert Farrell. Electric Sky is a proud member of the Rogic Podcast Conglomerate. Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

Send feedback to electicskypodcast@gmail.com.

]]>http://electricsky.net/miles-copeland/feed/6Miles Copeland has made a career of doing what others felt was crazy. In the process, he changed the music and entertainment business with acts such as The Police and The Bellydance Superstars. Show ID and Intro Interview with Miles Copeland Electric S...Miles Copeland has made a career of doing what others felt was crazy. In the process, he changed the music and entertainment business with acts such as The Police and The Bellydance Superstars. Show ID and Intro Interview with Miles Copeland Electric Sky has interviewed Miles’ brothers, Ian (click here for Ian) and Stewart (click […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/miles-copeland/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060820-ES-Portrait-47.mp3Stewart Copelandhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/qDN6DN4QeNs/
http://electricsky.net/stewart-copeland/#commentsSun, 13 Aug 2006 23:00:03 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/stewart-copeland/As an exercise to learn a new software package he’d bought, Stewart Copeland went through fifty hours of home movies he shot of his band, The Police. Doing so reminded him that despite a reputation of fighting between band members, The Police was a tight nit group that worked hard and had fun. Stewart spoke to me from his studio about the upcoming release of a DVD he produced from his home movies, Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out.

NOTE: Everyone Stares is dedicated to the memories of Kim Turner (Tour Manager for The Police) and Stewart’s brother Ian (Booking Agent for The Police). Click here to listen to an interview I did with Ian in June 2005.

Transcript of “Portrait – Stewart Copeland”

Stewart Copeland: Hi! This is Stewart Copeland and you are listening to your computer. It’s tuned to Electric Sky.

[Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric Sky.

Mark Blevis: What if you had fifty hours of home movies that documented a life of yours that was a lifetime ago? I’m your host Mark Blevis. On this edition of Portrait, drummer, composer, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and creator of the new film Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out, Stewart Copeland.

[clip from Everyone Stares]

Stewart Copeland: That shot is the first mob scene that we had of that kind. There is a distinction that needs to be made here, which was a surprise to me when I looked at this footage. We over time developed a lot of credibility as musicians, that our music was considered important and that we were — that our music had substance. We’re all very proud of that. What we have forgotten is that one of the greater leaps in our progress; which felt like to us inch by inch up the ziggurat, some of the steps were larger than others. One of the largest jumps in our fortunes was our first breakout with chart success in England as a boy band; as a bubble gum teeny bopper phenomenon; as pinups; and that audience there, those crowds, those mob scenes there are the result of that profile.

The bands that have been substantial bands, you know from Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Tool, whatever, they have a respect from their fans, but it doesn’t verge into that hysteria that you only get with teenage girls who are inflamed by youthful passion, and three blonde heads in that case.

So, those shots there; that’s our first time that — we had no security staff, we had no — you know, there was our roadies. We had no idea, when we walked out that door, I am walking right behind Sting and we can hear this kind of noise out the door, the door opens, Oh my, God! It’s right there in full frenzy with that high pitched shriek of those young girls. And if piranha fish could make a sound, that is the sound they would make. And I loved the shot because it gets the bedlam out of it. We can’t even see the car. “Where’s the car, Kim?” “It’s right there!” So we make it into the car. As soon as we are in the car and the door closes behind us, the screen goes black and you can hear us hyperventilating and you can see all the — then you can make out, gradually you can make out all the faces pressed against the glass. That moment is just perfect palatically for my movie, because that is the beginning of the gold fish bowl, where they’re pressed up against the glass looking in at us and the first weave of the cocoon is beginning to weave itself around us, the first layer of the cocoon.

Later on, when we were more just passionate about it and it was just part of our work environment.

Mark Blevis: It seems that every few years a jewel of Police memorabilia leaks out to the public. Is the movie intended to be one of those — keep up that tradition?

Stewart Copeland: No, in fact I have not been aware of such a tradition. I’ve pretty much forgotten about the Police and I have assumed that everyone else had as well. Of course, the catalogue division deep within the bowels of whatever company bought our record company, you know, they do that stuff and I guess I enjoy the royalties derived there from, but I’m certainly not aware of it. There is not really much to regurgitate other than repackaging the greatest hits of them, which I believe they have done at least twenty times by now in the last twenty years. If you say every two years that sounds about right as far as that goes, but this really doesn’t fit into any that at all. This is something that I originated and took to them and comes from the other direction.

Mark Blevis: Now, is this your answer to a book?

Stewart Copeland: No, not at all. None of these important sounding things. It was pretty much a lucky accident. I discovered that I had this material which combined with the advent of personal computers, Final Cut Pro, and cheap memory — that is to say hard drive memory — that suddenly it became possible to play with the stuff that I had had sitting in shoe boxes for years and I was just playing with it pretty much for my own amusement. I got this new software, Final Cut Pro, and I was reaching around for something to play with it, on it, and these pictures hoved into view. So I started cutting a whole movie. Then, came Sundance [Film Festival] and my little home movie, my little toy escaped from the playpen and became product.

Mark Blevis: Now, when you were going through the footage, what kind of memories did you go through? What kind of emotions did you go through?

Stewart Copeland: Mostly glee over the exciting quality of the images that I had to play with as I made my little home movie. You know, a dad carving up his home movies of his son in the football game is full of a similar form of glee when he actually got the shot where his son caught the ball and ran with it and scored! That happiness that a dad would feel having got that shot is what I felt as I looked at all the stuff that I had as this amazing adventure unfolded before us.

At the time, really the motivation at the time was — you know, one analogy is the dad with his home movie camera — the other is a tourist. We were tourists on our own adventure and we all had cameras. Andy had a stills cameras and Sting had a mild camera obsession, but nothing like Andy’s. We were taking shots, snap shots, of this incredible adventure because it was almost too much to believe with our own eyes so we would take pictures of it and stuff it in our suitcases to play with later.

Mark Blevis: It’s twenty-two years since the last piece of footage from that movie was actually recorded.

Stewart Copeland: Yeah.

Mark Blevis: So you could be the father of that Stewart Copeland that is in the movie? Who is that Stewart Copeland?

Stewart Copeland: Well, I am the father — you know — my son Patrick fits perfectly into that scenario you just described. Looks just like me, too. What was your question?

Mark Blevis: Who is that Stewart Copeland when you look back on that person?

Stewart Copeland: He is a wild out of control twenty-five year old rock star, in the middle of the hurricane. The film was shot by this twenty-five-year-old rock star and edited by a fifty-four-year-old father of many.

Mark Blevis: Do you have any advice for that guy?

Stewart Copeland: Yeah. Lighten up, dude!

Mark Blevis: At the end of the movie, you close out by saying:

[clip from Everyone Stares]
“Hollywood’s knocking on Stingo’s door,
Andy wants to play with his cameras more,
and I want to know what this life is for.
You know what? We’re done. When you get to where you’re going the ride is over.”

What is this life for?

Stewart Copeland: This is really goofy and I wish I had a sexier answer for you, my kids. Now, that is an answer entirely lacking in mystique and charisma and yet that is the honest answer to your question. I have seven kids. That’s the meaning of my life.

Mark Blevis: And how old is your youngest now?

Stewart Copeland: My youngest is — well they range from thirty-something to twenty-five, twenty-three, twenty-one, thirteen, eleven, and seven. I can’t remember all their names, but I’ve got a mnemonic for remembering their ages.

Mark Blevis: For Stewart Copeland, when is the ride over?

Stewart Copeland: Oh, my personal ride, I’m just getting started. I’ve discovered the meaning of life for me and it’s taken a while, but I’m on it.

[Portrait theme music]

Mark Blevis: Show notes and links to resources discussed in this episode can be found on my website, electricsky.net. While you’re there be sure to check out my podcast archives. The theme song for Portrait is Bigfoot by Robert Farrell. Electric Sky is a proud member of the Rogic Podcast Conglomerate. Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

]]>http://electricsky.net/stewart-copeland/feed/17As an exercise to learn a new software package he’d bought, Stewart Copeland went through fifty hours of home movies he shot of his band, The Police. Doing so reminded him that despite a reputation of fighting between band members,As an exercise to learn a new software package he’d bought, Stewart Copeland went through fifty hours of home movies he shot of his band, The Police. Doing so reminded him that despite a reputation of fighting between band members, The Police was a tight nit group that worked hard and had fun. Stewart spoke […]Mark Blevisclean9:37Electric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/stewart-copeland/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060813-ES-Portrait-46.mp3The Bookieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/sBJ70n05d04/
http://electricsky.net/the-bookies/#respondSun, 06 Aug 2006 17:00:14 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/the-bookies/While on vacation in Denver a few weeks ago, someone suggested to my wife and me that we check out a great, independent book store that specializes in children’s books and resources for teachers. We ended up spending a good part of the afternoon at the store, and left with an armload of books. While there, I had a chance to speak with the founder and owner, Sue Lubeck.

Sue Lubeck: For somebody not to enjoy reading, something’s wrong, then they haven’t been exposed to what’s out there.

[Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric Sky.

Mark Blevis: It started in the basement thirty years ago, and ten years later it outgrew the house. I’m your host, Mark Blevis, back from a summer holiday. On this edition of Portrait, Sue Lubeck, founder and owner of The Bookies, an independent bookstore in Denver, Colorado that specializes in children’s books and resources for teachers.

Sue Lubeck: It was really out of necessity because there weren’t many in Denver. I can remember really just one book, a children’s bookstore in Denver. So, we went to our local distributor and asked if we could buy books from him, discount them, and sell them. He said, “You can do anything you want to it once you get them.”

So, I brought them home and actually had a partner and she took some to her home, I took some to mine and after a year she said she didn’t want to work this hard and so she left, but I continued and then we contacted schools and showed them some of the books we had and would they be interested in book fairs and they were. For many years, we would fill as many as thirty-five tables in a school. It was lot of work but, again, a labour of love.

Then we decided once we got into computer that it was too labor intensive and it just didn’t work, but by that time, people had learned who we were and are and have been coming to our store and we will have in-house book parties as fundraisers for schools and churches and so forth.

We do things a little differently in our store and make it a little more user friendly in that as an example, the picture books of the different countries are all in by countries rather than just in picture books and in back we have the novels of the foreign countries, multi-culture, and they too are separated out by country. We also have that by periods in history starting in the very early history and then the novels that are all pertaining to each topic are in that section, which makes it very easy to find.

Mark Blevis: You’ve organized your entire collection with the mindset of a parent…

Sue Lubeck: Or the teacher. It’s extra work because a lot of these books are put in two sections. They may be put in just a literature section and that same book may also be pulled out and put into the Chinese section or novels, but it makes it much easier for everybody in the long run. We wish the days were longer and the space was bigger, but I guess in the book business, no matter how big it gets it’s never big enough.

Mark Blevis: Besides the book collection for children and for young readers, you have also a small adult section and a large reference section — resource section, for teachers and parents.

Sue Lubeck: Yeah. About half of our business is teachers and there some marvelous, marvelous teacher books coming out and we try to get them as quickly as they do come out. We have a very appreciative audience that comes in and who was here sometimes the day they arrive to get them “right now”.

Mark Blevis: Can you name some of your favourite unsung really good children’s authors that people do not know enough about?

Sue Lubeck: That’s kind of caught me off guard. But unsung… Jon Muth who just won the Caldecott is one of our favorite authors. He wrote Three Questions and to date we probably have sold about 1200 copies of this book because we love it. Everybody who seem to — in fact, we have one of our salespeople who always comes up and shows the book to a customer and hands her a piece of Kleenex at the same time because chances are she’ll need it.

Mark Blevis: What’s the best way to pick a book?

Sue Lubeck: I’m going to quote an Australian author, oh boy, Mem Fox…

Mark Blevis: Ah, yes!

Sue Lubeck: Who came in awhile ago and I will never forget this and she said, “First of all,” now they’re talking about pictures, children’s picture books, “The cover should appeal to you. You pick up the book because you want to from the cover. You should go through it five minutes, put it down and say, “wow!” If you’ve done that, it’s a good book.” We try to do that. We try to put ourselves in parents’ shoes and children’s shoes, and it has worked, it has worked. Unfortunately, sometimes we find some very beautiful illustrations with a story that’s kind of flat, or vice versa. And then, every once in a while there’ll be some books that everybody seems to just love. We cannot get enough of them. It’s interesting when you first start in business; you want to do this all yourself. You want to feel that you have started this and you’ve got this business rolling by yourself. So ,you do all the picking from your own thoughts. Then as you get more involved in this business and more mature, you will say to the rep, what do you think of it? You can even tell sometimes how a rep hands you the book. From body language, you can tell when he hands it to you almost how he feels about it. That doesn’t mean he’s always right or that we’re always right and we’ll always say to him, “Don’t let us pass up anything that you feel is good.” Because when we work with a rep, sometimes it’s two, three, four hours and by the end of it you don’t sometimes care what you are buying, but it’s very important. We’re very lucky to have reps come to us because then you get to hold the book in your hand. We seldom will buy a book unless we can hold it.

Mark Blevis: Do you think people still go to the bookstores and take the time to look at the books and pick them out effectively, or do you think people rush to the web and just pick something and order it?

Sue Lubeck: No, from what we have experience, people still come to us. Actually, we have some very, very gifted people in here. A lot of customers will have a favorite and they’ll ask for that person. But no, they want to know what they’re buying, they want to know what they’re buying and just as we want to know what we’re buying. And I think it’s important. It does mean that you have to create and have on hand a large inventory and we’re willing to do that. We take pride in our inventory. I think we’re the largest children’s bookstore in the country. Our teacher’s section is crowd jammed into this area, but it’s certainly among the best. There was a time when we would say, “Well, I don’t think we’re gonna sell that.” We do not say that anymore because chances are somewhere down the line somebody’s going to ask for that book. We just had a rep in today and there’s a beautiful Mandela book coming out, it’s $50. That’s always a dilemma because that’s a lot of money. When the rep said, “Well, they probably will run out of this and it’s gonna be sold internationally,” so I think we got four or five copies of it even though it’s expensive. You’re making judgments all day long. You’re learning from people. We learn from our customers and they learn from us. It’s kind of a two-way street.

Mark Blevis: When you started this thirty years ago, obviously you were doing this out of your home and in schools. What’s changed in thirty years in the publishing and retailing landscape?

Sue Lubeck: Well, one thing I remember people saying — they always look at the price when they first start, “Oh, I can’t pay…” what were hardback books back then maybe $10.95 that are now $16 or $17, people were more price conscious I think at that time. Now, they sell them– they might bring up a hardback book and say, “Do you know if this is coming in paper?” Chances are if it isn’t, they will say, “Well, I’ll just take this one.” Price is not nearly as important. We’re suggesting to people that they don’t give their children’s books away when they’re through with them because their children will want to have them, so save them, put them away. We also get – We’ve had very good luck in getting out of print books. I had one man who said — I don’t remember the title, it’s either dinosaur or dragon book. He said, “I really want it because it was my favorite as a child.” So, I called him one day and I said, “I’ve good news and bad news. I’ve found the book, but it’s $95 paperback.” He said, “I’ll take it.” He was absolutely thrilled. That’s a nice part of business, too, when we can bring these people and books together. It’s a very happy business. I look forward to each day and sometimes hate to see it end. So, I feel very fortunate to be involved in something like this where you can help people. You help teachers who help children. It’s kind of everybody is helping each other.

[Portrait theme music]

Mark Blevis: Show notes and links to resources discussed in this episode including a link to a new Podcast called “Just One More Book” can be found on my website, electricsky.net. While you’re there, be sure to check out my Podcast archives. The theme song for Portrait is Bigfoot by Robert Farrell. Electric Sky is a proud member of the Rogic Podcast Conglomerate. Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

Mark Blevis: So that’s another thing is fractured fairytales. My wife’s really good about this.

Sue Lubeck: Let me show you.

Mark Blevis: Al the, like — the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf ; oh, the three…

Sue Lubeck: That’s what started it. That’s the — what was the title? I can’t even think — the book about the — the wolf wasn’t such a bad guy, all he wanted to do was borrow a cup of sugar.

Mark Blevis: The True Story of — yeah…

Sue Lubeck: True Story! That started this whole genre and it is fabulous. I mean we have — let me show you a Cinderella book. Here, look at the Cinderella books. Now, it starts here, goes all the way over here. Look at the different countries involved.

Mark Blevis: Oh, look at that. Egyptian, Korean, Irish, Persian…

Sue Lubeck: And they are still coming. There are even more down here I think. Look here, still more Cinderella. Wild western Cinderella… Look at this! I didn’t even realize we got so many.

Mark Blevis: And people think that the real Cinderella story is the Disney version.

Sue Lubeck: Yeah, I know! Look at all the way here. All the way here and over here are your Cinderella…

]]>http://electricsky.net/the-bookies/feed/0While on vacation in Denver a few weeks ago, someone suggested to my wife and me that we check out a great, independent book store that specializes in children’s books and resources for teachers. We ended up spending a good part of the afternoon at the...While on vacation in Denver a few weeks ago, someone suggested to my wife and me that we check out a great, independent book store that specializes in children’s books and resources for teachers. We ended up spending a good part of the afternoon at the store, and left with an armload of books. While […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/the-bookies/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060806-ES-Portrait-45.mp3Electric Sky is coming backhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/bCgWijdmNoM/
http://electricsky.net/electric-sky-is-coming-back/#respondSat, 29 Jul 2006 22:44:44 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/electric-sky-is-coming-back/Electric Sky will be returning shortly after a little over a month of relaxation.
]]>http://electricsky.net/electric-sky-is-coming-back/feed/0Electric Sky will be returning shortly after a little over a month of relaxation.Electric Sky will be returning shortly after a little over a month of relaxation.Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/electric-sky-is-coming-back/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060425-ES-Promo-02.mp3Preserving Aviation Historyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/hki6NCCt6LU/
http://electricsky.net/preserving-aviation-history/#commentsSat, 17 Jun 2006 03:03:25 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=150Air Show Ottawa 2006 takes place this weekend. I went to the media event thinking that the air show was about fancy machines and fancier aerobatics. It turns out to be equally about preserving aviation history and honouring those who gave their lives in combat.

[Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric Sky.

Mark Blevis:Â Air shows aren’t just about flashy aerobatics.Â To many, it’s an opportunity to preserve aviation history.Â Some of that history is coming to life at the 2006 Air Show Ottawa.Â I’m your host, Mark Blevis.Â On this edition of Portrait, Jim Terry takes me on a flight in the Pacific Prowler, a World War II B-25 bomber, and collector Michael Potter introduces me to one of his spitfires.

Jim Terry: We’re required to tell you by our FAA that this is not a commercial airliner.Â It does not have the safety redundant systems that commercial airliners have.Â It’s designed to fly with pieces shut off.Â So, if we have any pieces shut off over the capital today, we think we can come back.

Crew member:Â Okay, no one fall out this hole or I get in trouble.Â Alright.Â [unintelligible] We’ve got a fire extinguisher on board, a first aid kit, and we’re out of sick bags so don’t get sick.

Passenger: Good to go!

Crew member: The window’s open.Â In case of any emergencies, move out this way if we can land.Â If we land with wheels down, you’ll go out the same way you came.Â If we land wheels up, that will be your exit or this will be your exit; whichever is safest.

Mark Blevis:Â If we land, what?Â Wheels up?

Jim Terry: Wheels up.Â Hopefully we won’t land wheels up, but you know…

Mark Blevis:Â How many B-25 bombers were there?

Crew member:Â There’s almost 10,000 made and there are only about 35 that are in flying condition.

Mark Blevis:Â How many of those 10,000 came home with their crew alive?

Crew member:Â About half.Â Half of those came home and with their crews.

Jim Terry:Â My uncle flew these in World War II and I grew up with him and as a child, his stories were amazing and remarkable and crazy.Â It was very inspiring.Â All my whole adult life we knew when we were growing up that we wanted to a B-25.Â This one came available.Â It was in a junk yard.Â It had to be saved.Â It was my duty to go save that airplane.

Mark Blevis:Â How did you end up owning the plane?Â What were the circumstances that led to that?

Jim Terry:Â Well, she was in the junkyard.Â We just took out a second mortgage on the house.Â We sold the pick-up trucks and the junk we didn’t need.Â We made the down payment.Â We got possession of it.Â Now, we are just doing everything we can to support it and keep it and keep it flying.

Mark Blevis: It must be expensive to maintain a plane like that.Â Just buying it was expensive, but you must have had to invest heavily in getting it up to flight condition again.

Jim Terry:Â It was insanely expensive.Â We maxed out all our credit cards.Â We borrowed money everywhere we could.Â We’re in the process now of just trying to keep our heads afloat financially and keep the airplane flying.

Mark Blevis:Â Can you tell me a little bit about the type of person who would be on that airplane starting with the pilot and working backward to the tail gunner.

Jim Terry: The pilot generally was the old man and the old man at that time might have been 21 years old.Â So, we were turning 21-year-olds with a machine like that, loose, to go fly it at 20 feet above the water and bomb and strafe and do all those things that they had to do, stuff we would not even think about doing today to our young men.

They came from all over the country.Â They came from farms.Â Most of the guys, of course, have never been away from their home states, let alone flying the airplanes across the Atlantic and across the Pacific and landing in Algiers.

You got a pilot and co-pilot and they were in their early 20s.Â Then you had a navigator that sat behind them, also an officer.Â In the nose, you had the bombardier who was also an officer.Â So, we had four officers on board.Â You had a top turret gunner who was an enlisted man.Â We had a radio operator who sat in the center section, also operated the waist guns, and a tail gunner.Â Those were both enlisted men.

It took seven men to operate the airplane.Â She carried 3500 pounds of bombs.Â It took seven men to get 3500 pounds of bombs on target, which of course today, a single man flies an airplane that weighs twice that weight, carries three or four times that amount of ordinance and puts it on target.

Mark Blevis:Â You said something before we took off which was oddly reassuring and that was these planes are designed to fly with pieces shut off.Â I actually felt a little bit more uncomfortable being on the plane with that piece of information.Â How is it possible to design a plane that can fly even though it’s missing pieces?

Jim Terry:Â If you look in the plane, I can show you the control cables.Â The airplane’s very simple.Â It’s all fly with control cables.Â When I pull back on the yoke, it moves the cable which activates the…

Mark Blevis:Â Which is all the banging sound, right?

Jim Terry:Â No, that was the backfiring in the engines.Â That’s also normal.

The cables physically move the services and I physically move the yoke that moves the cables.Â They have double redundant cables.Â We have cables running down both sides of the fuselage.Â So, if any one side of the airplane is hit and those cables were cut, you have the cables going down the other side.

Mark Blevis:Â How does somebody who lives in — well, I guess you picked us a plane up in the nineties, so how does somebody, an adult, in the nineties learn to fly a plane that was built in the forties, I guess?

Jim Terry:Â Exactly the way you learn anything.Â They start you out in a Cessna.Â You work your way up to a twin engine and then you fly in the right seat of this airplane for a year or two.Â I’ve been in that right seat for two years.Â I’m just working my way into the left seat, just a very slow progression.

Obviously, World War II, they moved them incredibly fast.Â They were training crews, but a lot of those guys got killed.Â Most of the accidents were in, believe it or not, in training accidents.Â Most of the guys were lost in training.Â More guys were lost in training than were lost in combat.Â As insane as that sounds, but they were in a hardcore pressed to get them trained and get them on the road and get them in combat.Â They were expendable.

Mark Blevis:Â What can you tell me about the names that are signed on Bombay Doors?

Jim Terry:Â Those are the men flew that these airplanes in World War II.Â They have come to see us since we have been on tour.Â We have asked them to sign the inside of the airplane.Â They are our nation’s heroes.Â We want to make the airplane a living memorial to them.Â We are losing those men at the rate of about 1500 a day and because of all these things that we just talked about, we owe them everything.

[inflight audio: squeezing past another passenger to get to the tail gunner’s position]

[interview with Michael Potter]

Mark Blevis: What got you into airplane collecting?

Michael Potter:Â Well, first of all, I’ve been flying for nearly 40 years, although not these kinds of airplanes — that goes back about six years.Â It’s just what you do after retirement.Â I was in a position to — I was flexible enough with my time and the resources to do something interesting.

I first bought a Staggerwing and then a Spitfire and one thing led to another.Â What really made it take off is that we saw the level of interest there was particularly with the Spitfire; interest by people who saw this not just as a cool airplane, but as a little window on history.Â We saw the tremendous response from veterans and their families.Â Once you start seeing that, you realize that this is really an opportunity to do something more than just have fun flying airplanes.Â You can really reach out to people tell them what these airplanes mean, what they did, recognize some of the veterans that flew them, some of the older folks that remember them when they were doing the job.Â One thing’s led to another.Â We now have 10 airplanes or eight airplanes and two more on the way in the hanger.

Mark Blevis:Â You treat this as not just a hobby, but you actually treat it as preserving history?

Michael Potter:Â Correct.Â I am a collector in that sense.Â I enjoy owning the airplanes.Â I fly them all.Â It’s a great pleasure for me.Â We really put together a different kind of enterprise, a foundation that uses these to expose them to the public and tell people, particularly young people, a little bit about history.

It’s amazing how you can take a young teenager or even my kid’s grade three class have done a tour of the hanger.Â Put them in front of a veteran, teach them a little bit about where they came from, and all a sudden, what might be — history is almost considered boring by kids of that age when it is just being read out of a book, but you can make it come alive by looking at the airplanes and talking to people who flew them.Â All of a sudden, they are fascinated by it, but it is history, they’re learning history.

Mark Blevis:Â What can you tell me about this aircraft that you flew today?

Michael Potter:Â Well, I flew the Spitfire and it is a Mark XVI.Â It was built in 1945 before the end of the war.Â It didn’t see combat, although it had quite an interesting life after the war, until 1951, as the personal airplane of Air Chief Marshall James Robb.

Mark Blevis:Â What can you tell me about the type of pilot that would be in that seat?

Michael Potter: Well, they were very young people.Â These folks often started before they turned twenty.Â They might do their primary training at age eighteen or nineteen and be with an operational squadron before they were twenty.Â In fact, I understand that at some point in the war, it was decreed that no pilot, no matter how successful, over the age of twenty-eight was going to be continuing to fly operationally.Â I think the point there was — perhaps they were speculating there would be a degradation of skills as they got older, funny for me to say.Â Also, they were too valuable with that kind of experience and they wanted them to teach others, help others.

It must have been — One can only imagine, they must have been very confident, skillful young men.Â What they did was tremendously dangerous.Â The odds were clearly running against you.Â And how could you do this?Â I believe that people fly under those odds because they have a fundamental belief that they’re learning skills will keep them alive.Â I don’t think people volunteer for jobs that have such a large loss of life unless they feel they’ve got the capability to do it.Â I’m speculating, but I imagine they were not only very capable, very well-trained men, but they were awfully confident in their skills.

Mark Blevis:Â You prefer to fly these things in your retirement, I assume?

Michael Potter:Â Yeah.Â It’s entirely different.Â It’s great to feel you’re sitting where they sat and indeed it’s a great adventure, but let us not kid ourselves.Â There’s absolutely nothing to compare with the kind of flying we do under ideal conditions, carefully regulated, mostly straight and level, nobody shooting at us.Â It’s the only way to do it these days.Â The airplanes are too valuable let alone how you feel about your own life, but it’s certainly not what these young men faced sixty years ago.

[inflight audio]

Mark Blevis:Â I’m sitting in the tail-gunner section now. I don’t know if any of these could be heard, because it’s really friggin’ loud up here.

[Portrait theme music]

Mark Blevis:Â Links to resources discussed in the show can be found in the show notes on my website, electricsky.net.Â While you’re there, be sure to check out my Podcast archives.Â Electric Sky is a proud member of the Rogic Podcast Conglomerate.Â Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

]]>http://electricsky.net/preserving-aviation-history/feed/2Air Show Ottawa 2006 takes place this weekend. I went to the media event thinking that the air show was about fancy machines and fancier aerobatics. It turns out to be equally about preserving aviation history and honouring those who gave their lives i...Air Show Ottawa 2006 takes place this weekend. I went to the media event thinking that the air show was about fancy machines and fancier aerobatics. It turns out to be equally about preserving aviation history and honouring those who gave their lives in combat. Show ID and Intro Preparing to take off Interview with […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/preserving-aviation-history/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060617-ES-Portrait-44.mp3Kirk Starkey and Sonore 2006http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/xc1fecCl2-4/
http://electricsky.net/kirk-starkey-and-sonore-2006/#respondSun, 04 Jun 2006 19:00:44 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=146Kirk Starkey is a Cello teacher with the Suzuki School of Music in Ottawa. He is also the driving force behind the Sonore Music Workshop which introduces young musicians to crossover composition and music technology.

]]>http://electricsky.net/kirk-starkey-and-sonore-2006/feed/0Kirk Starkey is a Cello teacher with the Suzuki School of Music in Ottawa. He is also the driving force behind the Sonore Music Workshop which introduces young musicians to crossover composition and music technology.Kirk Starkey is a Cello teacher with the Suzuki School of Music in Ottawa. He is also the driving force behind the Sonore Music Workshop which introduces young musicians to crossover composition and music technology. Show ID and Intro Interview with Kirk Starkey Sonore 2006 for young musicians age 13-20 Turtle Island String Quartet Suzuki […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/kirk-starkey-and-sonore-2006/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060604-ES-Portrait-43.mp3Steven Page on the Canadian Music Creators Coalitionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/hCcQHmhkbGw/
http://electricsky.net/stephen-page-on-the-canadian-music-creators-coalition/#commentsFri, 26 May 2006 13:00:04 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=145A group of Canadian Musicians have formed the Canadian Music Creators Coalition in order to bring a new voice to the digital music revolution debate. Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies is one of the founding members of the CMCC and I had the privilege of speaking with him last evening.

Note: The Barenaked Ladies have a Podcast which you can subscribe to using a link on their website.

]]>http://electricsky.net/stephen-page-on-the-canadian-music-creators-coalition/feed/12A group of Canadian Musicians have formed the Canadian Music Creators Coalition in order to bring a new voice to the digital music revolution debate. Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies is one of the founding members of the CMCC and I had the privilege of ...A group of Canadian Musicians have formed the Canadian Music Creators Coalition in order to bring a new voice to the digital music revolution debate. Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies is one of the founding members of the CMCC and I had the privilege of speaking with him last evening. Show ID and Intro Interview […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/stephen-page-on-the-canadian-music-creators-coalition/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060526-ES-Portrait-42.mp3Making All In A Dayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/FcoGPDks3dw/
http://electricsky.net/making-all-in-a-day/#respondTue, 23 May 2006 03:00:39 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=143Join me as I shadow the All In A Day team while they put together their show on June 15, 2005. Hear how the team plans the show, prepares interviews, selects music, makes production decisions, goes to air, and deals with equipment problems.

Show ID and Intro

Interviews with:

Sarah MacFadyen, Producer

Michael Munnik, Associate Producer

Darrell O’Dea, Engineer

Brent Bambury, Host

Linda Russell, Producer

Adrian Harewood becomes the new, permanent, host of All In A Day on June 5.

]]>http://electricsky.net/making-all-in-a-day/feed/0Join me as I shadow the All In A Day team while they put together their show on June 15, 2005. Hear how the team plans the show, prepares interviews, selects music, makes production decisions, goes to air, and deals with equipment problems.Join me as I shadow the All In A Day team while they put together their show on June 15, 2005. Hear how the team plans the show, prepares interviews, selects music, makes production decisions, goes to air, and deals with equipment problems. Show ID and Intro Interviews with: Sarah MacFadyen, Producer Michael Munnik, Associate […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/making-all-in-a-day/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060522-ES-Landscape-03.mp3The best Bruschetta in the worldhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/ePg_iVdGEyc/
http://electricsky.net/the-best-bruschetta-in-the-world/#commentsMon, 08 May 2006 00:00:40 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=140My absolute favourite restaurant is a small place, in the Glebe community of Ottawa, called Infusion Bistro. Besides having amazing food at very reasonable prices, they serve the best Bruschetta in the world.

Show ID and Intro

Interview with Michael Pickard

[Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric Sky.Mark Blevis:Â Say what you will about the restaurants of Italy, New York, Paris and London, the best bruschetta in the world is right here in Ottawa, Canada.Â I’m your host, Mark Blevis.Â On this edition of Portrait, Michael Pickard of Infusion Bistro explains to me how to make the world’s best bruschetta.

Mark Blevis: So, is this your recipe for bruschetta or-?

Michael Pickard: Yes, it is.

Mark Blevis:Â You made it yourself?

Michael Pickard: Well, it’s a traditional recipe.Â The problem with cooking is that so many people try to pretend they reinvented the wheel.Â The fact of the matter is it’s fresh basil, fresh garlic, some nice Roman tomatoes, some olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.Â So, you’re not really doing anything different all the time.Â People try to pretend that they’re tweaking it.Â The tweak that we added to it was the balsamic reduction, which is a bit of residual sweetness and the goat’s cheese, which works well with anything with tomatoes.

Mark Blevis:Â Oh, yeah.

Michael Pickard: All right.Â So, now we’ve all the ingredients essentially that we need.Â The key is fresh Roma tomatoes.Â What I tend to do is I’ll cut them in half. Some people, some I guess traditionalists if you will, will squeeze the juice out of the Roma tomato.Â I personally don’t.Â I think that all the flavours melding together is a good thing.Â You can slice the Romas.Â After you’ve cut them in half, you could quarter them, you can put them into strips, that’s completely up to you.Â It depends on what you would like.Â For us at the restaurant, what we do is we slice it into three and then we just slice it into little bite-sized chunks in that respect.Â So, we’re going to cut a few of these up.Â Then what we’re going to do — for the rest…

Mark Blevis:Â You actually figured out how to do this without losing fingers, obviously.

Michael Pickard: Yeah.Â I have a few little cuts, but my mom being a good German lady taught me one thing and that is everything in life should be built on steps.Â So, the first thing I learned was how to hold the knife properly.Â As I learned to hold the knife consistently and properly, then it’s a matter of trying to go a little bit faster.Â Sometimes people will try to just be faster from the start.Â I should knock on wood as I say this.Â I haven’t cut myself in a long, long time.

Mark Blevis:Â So, you’re holding the knife actually kind of by the base of the actual blade.

Michael Pickard:Â Yeah, the handle should fit somewhere in the palm of your hand and where you grip the knife should be essentially right around where the centre of gravity of the knife is.Â Then, you grip it like that.Â What happens then is when you go to angle, you have more support.Â The knife just will not all of a sudden slip off.Â The other key is have very sharp knives.Â Some people think that that actually could lead itself to you cut yourself more.Â It’s actually the complete opposite because then you would stop struggling with the knife to try to get through something.Â More importantly, if you do happen to, by accident, cut yourself at least it’s a clean cut, whereas, if it’s not such a sharp knife…

Mark Blevis:Â Okay.Â The other thing I’ll mention while you’re walking around here is I noticed that you do not have your fingers sticking out.Â You actually have your fingers rounded so that the tips of your fingers are tucked away from where the knife is actually cutting.

Michael Pickard:Â That is correct, yes.Â What you do is you essentially just rest it against your knuckles.

With the basil, what we tend to do now is we just take the leaves.Â The only thing you do not want is the stem at the bottom, which is really thick, but as a far as taking the leaves off of the stems, you do not have to do that.Â It’s up to you, but I find with basil it’s all very usable and it’s all soft.Â It’s not like some other spices.Â Rosemary, for instance, you would not want any of the stalks on top because it’s so hard.Â Then, we can cut this into what I would say is julienned.Â Again, this comes down to what your interests are, but for us it’s just shaved slices.Â Then I just add the fresh basil to the Roma tomatoes, which we’ve already cut up.Â Then I reach for some garlic.Â Anybody who is eaten at our restaurant is quite aware of the fact that we’re very fond of garlic.Â I personally think that you can’t really ever have too much garlic.Â Other people may say otherwise.Â What we do, the exact recipe for this, would be if you were to do a two-pound batch of Roma tomatoes, you’re looking at adding a half a cup of pomace oil.Â We use pomace just because there’s a little bit more flavor.Â Extra virgin olive oil really is not going to bring anything to it.Â It’s generally flavourless, if you will.Â One bunch of fresh basil, which we’ve chopped up; salt and pepper to taste, some people have different preferences, and half a cup of chopped garlic.

Now, with ours in the restaurant, what we do is we cut it so you can actually see the garlic.Â I think it’s a good thing.Â I like the little chunks of garlic.Â If you would prefer to stick your garlic in the Cuisinart and puree it and do it with the oil so that it actually does get chopped up and by all means you may do that, but just as far as how we do it here, that’s how we chop it up.Â Give it again just some more flavour.Â The key is, well, if I haven’t already said it or if I have said it, I apologize, fresh ingredients, it’s just such a huge difference, it makes such a big difference.Â When it comes to certain things like beef, organic beef is still through the roof as far as cost, but when you come to any of the produce these days it’s getting to a point where it’s very affordable and the flavor it’s just so much different, I find.Â I just cannot get over it.Â The other thing with the bruschetta, if you know in advance that you are going to be having a dinner party or you’re having people over and you want to serve the bruschetta, it’s actually one of those things that you’re better off making it two or three days in advance and letting it sit.Â I find that the way that the flavors then begin to combine and meld together, if you will, is a good thing.Â So, we’ve done this portion of it, and…

Mark Blevis:Â We’ve actually added the pomace oil, which you just kind of poured arbitrarily, I’ll say, but obviously the calculated eye and you stirred it all together so that is the tomatoes, the basil, and the pomace oil.

Michael Pickard:Â That is correct and we’re just going to grab a pinch of salt.

Mark Blevis:Â Okay.

Michael Pickard: What we also do, as well, here at Infusion is just prior to serving we bring it up to temperature.Â We heat it on the stove top in a frying pan or saute pan, but we don t make it so that the liquid that is in the pan is boiling, but what we do want to do is we want to just warm it up because, again, we find it just combines all the flavors.Â Sometimes when things are too cold, the true depth of the product doesn’t come outÂ Then the last part that we won’t do today because it’s about a two-hour process, but which I’ve no problem telling you what it is, is the balsamic reduction.Â The balsamic reduction works on having one litre of balsamic vinegar.Â It can be any balsamic vinegar.Â It doesn’t have to be any of these expensive aged things, just regular balsamic vinegar, and if you’re going to use one litre, use one cup of sugar, and then you simmer it and you continue to simmer it until it gets to the thickness that you wished for it to be.

Mark Blevis:Â So, balsamic vinegar with sugar.

Michael Pickard:Â With sugar and it could be regular sugar.

Mark Blevis:Â So the measurement was?

Michael Pickard:Â One litre of balsamic to one cup of sugar.Â If you simmer it you’re going to be looking at from an hour-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours depending on, again, it comes out to how thick you want it.Â If for some reason you forgot it and when you cool it you find it’s too thick, it’s almost like cement or molasses just add a little more balsamic, bring it back up to temperature.Â The other thing is make sure you put your hoods on or your vents on because it does create quite an interesting, well, vinegar smell because you’re reducing this, so you want to have windows open or hoods on.

Mark Blevis:Â Is that where the name reduction comes from?

Michael Pickard: Precisely.

Mark Blevis: Okay.Â Boy, this is like an education experience for me.

Michael Pickard: We’re trying.

Mark Blevis:Â I don’t work in the kitchen.

Michael Pickard: Well, maybe you should now.Â Then the goat’s cheese, just put a little goat’s cheese ball.Â We take a crostini, a baguette, we slice it.Â If you do not have a grill you can cook it on, just put it in your oven.Â If you want to put a little bit of olive oil on it just to allow it to get crispy and then you’re ready serve.Â It doesn t have to be long pieces.Â It can just be little medallions.Â It can be however you wish to do it and you’re good to go.

Mark Blevis:Â What were you doing before you started Infusion?

Michael Pickard: I went to Carleton and I got myself a degree in economics and decided that I was going to work in the banking industry.Â So, I was in Toronto and pursuing that and after aboutMark Blevis:Â How’s that going for you?

Michael Pickard:Â Well, it wasn’t meant for me.Â Unfortunately, this is radio so you can’t see my long hair and earrings, but it was a little too formal for me, but I thought that from my upbringing and my parent’s background it was something that I thought would be — it was something I knew.Â I thought that I would enjoy it and certainly didn’t enjoy it that much.Â I’d always worked in restaurants when I was in university.Â So, I went back to work in a restaurant in Toronto.Â That’s where I met my lovely wife and it turned out we were both from Ottawa and it turned out we both wanted to have kids and so we thought, “Well, let’s move back to Ottawa.”Â In Toronto, you drive an hour-and-a-half to play golf and in Ottawa we drive an hour-and-a-half and we’re at our cottage.Â So for quality of life’s reason, we decided to move back to Ottawa.Â We couldn’t work for others forever, so we thought, “Well, let’s open up our own place.”

[Portrait theme music]

Mark Blevis: If you ever make it to Ottawa, be sure to check out the Infusion Bistro.Â Tell them Mark from Electric Sky sent you.Â Electric Sky is a proud member of the Rogic Podcast Conglomerate.Â Thanks for listening and please stay subscribed.

]]>http://electricsky.net/the-best-bruschetta-in-the-world/feed/1My absolute favourite restaurant is a small place, in the Glebe community of Ottawa, called Infusion Bistro. Besides having amazing food at very reasonable prices, they serve the best Bruschetta in the world.My absolute favourite restaurant is a small place, in the Glebe community of Ottawa, called Infusion Bistro. Besides having amazing food at very reasonable prices, they serve the best Bruschetta in the world. Show ID and Intro Interview with Michael Pickard [Portrait theme music] Podcasting visual insound, this is another edition of Portrait on Electric […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/the-best-bruschetta-in-the-world/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060507-ES-Portrait-41.mp3One Year Specialhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/IFA_z5P8IYw/
http://electricsky.net/one-year-special/#commentsMon, 01 May 2006 01:15:00 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://www.electricsky.net/?p=136I decided that I would celebrate my first anniversary as a Podcaster by giving myself a week off – deserved or not. Nevertheless, I couldn’t leave you without something. So, here is a quick thank you for being a part of a fantastic first year and for the contribution you have made to my show, along with my most recent promo.

I wish I could thank everyone who made a contribution to Electric Sky. I can’t. I’m afraid that I would leave names out. One person that must be singled out is my wife, Andrea, whose support, ideas and criticism has made Electric Sky a better program, and more fun and rewarding for me to produce.

]]>http://electricsky.net/one-year-special/feed/2I decided that I would celebrate my first anniversary as a Podcaster by giving myself a week off – deserved or not. Nevertheless, I couldn’t leave you without something. So, here is a quick thank you for being a part of a fantastic first year and for t...I decided that I would celebrate my first anniversary as a Podcaster by giving myself a week off – deserved or not. Nevertheless, I couldn’t leave you without something. So, here is a quick thank you for being a part of a fantastic first year and for the contribution you have made to my show, […]Mark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/one-year-special/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060430-ES-OneYear.mp3Make a differencehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/7pj9Pl4_5wM/
http://electricsky.net/make-a-difference/#respondMon, 24 Apr 2006 13:41:35 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://mail.electricsky.net/?p=132Nothing is more rewarding than making a difference in someone else’s life.

]]>http://electricsky.net/make-a-difference/feed/0Nothing is more rewarding than making a difference in someone else’s life. Show ID and Intro My first Portrait monologue I Am Cow by The Arrogant WormsNothing is more rewarding than making a difference in someone else’s life. Show ID and Intro My first Portrait monologue I Am Cow by The Arrogant WormsMark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/make-a-difference/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060423-ES-Portrait-40.mp3Nicole Horlor (Zeal Metal)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/x8n32-PWNRg/
http://electricsky.net/nicole-horlor-zeal-metal/#respondMon, 17 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://mail.electricsky.net/?p=131You can’t beat downtown Kingston (Ontario) for locally owned and operated stores and shops that have real style. It’s the only shopping district that draws me in. Zeal Metal is one of those great places.

]]>http://electricsky.net/nicole-horlor-zeal-metal/feed/0You can’t beat downtown Kingston (Ontario) for locally owned and operated stores and shops that have real style. It’s the only shopping district that draws me in. Zeal Metal is one of those great places. Show ID and Intro Interview with Nicole HorlorYou can’t beat downtown Kingston (Ontario) for locally owned and operated stores and shops that have real style. It’s the only shopping district that draws me in. Zeal Metal is one of those great places. Show ID and Intro Interview with Nicole HorlorMark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/nicole-horlor-zeal-metal/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060416-ES-Portrait-39.mp3Devin Service, the video store guyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricsky/~3/cr6uhVajznE/
http://electricsky.net/devin-service-the-video-store-guy/#commentsMon, 10 Apr 2006 00:00:05 +0000electricskypodcast@gmail.com (Mark Blevis)http://mail.electricsky.net/?p=130How about a video store clerk who can actually recommend great movies from all genres!

]]>http://electricsky.net/devin-service-the-video-store-guy/feed/1How about a video store clerk who can actually recommend great movies from all genres! Show ID and Intro Interview with Devin Service Girl Guide Cookies Rogic’s Easter Egg HuntHow about a video store clerk who can actually recommend great movies from all genres! Show ID and Intro Interview with Devin Service Girl Guide Cookies Rogic’s Easter Egg HuntMark BleviscleanElectric,Sky,Visual,Insound,Podcast,Canada,Canadian,interview,documentary,CBC,insight,visual,insound,creative,criticalhttp://electricsky.net/devin-service-the-video-store-guy/http://media.libsyn.com/media/electricsky/060409-ES-Portrait-38.mp3Mark BlevisnonadultElectric Sky produces podcast programs that feature engaging, creative and critical ideas... and great music. Portrait is a short format program. Each edition offers a narrow field of view about a particular subject, person, event or theme, in 10 minutes